Asian Cup 2019: Twitter reacts to India's New Kits; 28-Man Squad

The Indian football team announced a 28-member squad which would be flying to Abu Dhabi for participating in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and the double friendly against Oman and Syria on 27th and 30th December. They also unveiled the new kits, manufactured by Six5Six, at a ceremony in Delhi on Wednesday.

The team would board the flight from New Delhi on Thursday. Jerry Lalrinzuala and Nishu Kumar couldn't make the cut as they were injured. On the contrary, Sahal Abdul Samad, Komal Thatal, Nikhil Poojary, and Bikash Jairu got themselves axed from the earlier 34-member probable squad.

Here is the 28-member squad:

Goalkeepers - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Bengaluru FC), Amrinder Singh (Mumbai City FC), Arindam Bhattacharya (ATK), Vishal Kaith (FC Pune City)

Defenders - Pritam Kotal (Delhi Dynamos), Lalruatthara (Kerala Blasters), Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters), Anas Edathodika (Kerala Blasters), Salam Ranjan Singh (East Bengal), Sarthak Golui (FC Pune City), Subhasish Bose (Mumbai City FC), Narayan Das (Delhi Dynamos)

Midfielders - Udanta Singh (Bengaluru FC), Jackichand Singh (FC Goa), Pronay Halder (ATK), Vinit Rai (Delhi Dynamos), Rowllin Borges (Northeast United FC), Anirudh Thapa (Chennaiyin FC), Germanpreet Singh (Chennaiyin FC), Ashique Kuruniyan (FC Pune City), Halicharan Narzary (Kerala Blasters FC), Lallianzuala Chhangte (Delhi Dynamos)

Strikers- Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Chennaiyin FC), Balwant Singh (ATK), Manvir Singh (FC Goa), Farukh Choudhary (Jamshedpur FC), Sumeet Passi (Jamshedpur FC)

Stephen Constantine and Praful Patel also were a part of the kit launch

Earlier in the day, the Blue Tigers also launched their new kits in a glitzy function in New Delhi. Nike were the previous sponsors of the Indian football team.

The contract between the two parties expired and the AIFF signed a new sponsorship deal with Six5Six on Tuesday. The highest governing body of football announced the same via their official website.

Seven members of the squad - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Rowllin Borges, Shubhasish Bose, and Pritam Kotal - walked onto the stage, wearing the new kit. Stephen Constantine and Sunil Chhetri took part in a press conference where they answered the questions from the media representatives later.

The Twitteratis used all their creativity to voice their opinions. Here are the quirkiest of the lot:

very happy to see the squad ...very excited for @afcasiancup ...😍😍 wish to see some stunning goals from the forwards as well as other midfields and defenders too...we wanna see goals....Yeah Go for it india @IndSuperLeague

— Pritam777 (@pritmindia) December 19, 2018

TBH: Stephen looks like he's been photoshopped into this picture.#IndianFootball #Six5Six #ConstantineOut pic.twitter.com/VWiawuBfKA

— Sai Krishna (@imSkrishnaaa) December 19, 2018

How many people who are whining about that it doesn't look good as the Nike one, has bought an original Nike kit ?? It was 3k in online..🙏🙏

— "Neutral"Walla (@vivekmohan81) December 19, 2018

@IndianFootball team signs a new contract with Six5Six as a Kit Sponsor. Nike was the kit sponsor since 2006 which looked after the kits. Now, for the first time, AIFF will be receiving 1.5 to 2 crore rupees as sponsorship revenue from #Six5Six #IndianFootball #BlueTigers

— Sriram (@NaamRaam) December 19, 2018

NEW @IndianFootball kit by #Six5Six will be out for sale tonight! #BlueTigers #AsianDream #AC2019 #BackTheBlue pic.twitter.com/bVnNSm5wel

— Rohit Singh (@I_RohitSingh) December 19, 2018

When you realise you’re going to get sacked after the tournament! 🤓#IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/e2O0i0yJDk

— Mal-Lee (@MallikarjunaNH) December 19, 2018

Shouldn't be an issue as long as they are paying up and don't do anything fishy.#IndianFootball

— /r/IndianFootball (@rIndianFootball) December 19, 2018

We wish the #IndianFootball Team all the very best for their forthcoming campaign in the AFC #AsianCup2019. The new skin indeed looks good. 😍 Go #BlueTigers #BackTheBlue pic.twitter.com/ltcYNCi9xA

— SESAFootballAcademy (@VedantaFootball) December 19, 2018

My only wish with the new jersey is everyone is able to buy it and wear it everywhere just like the Indian cricket team jersey is sold and worn! Having an Indian company doing that should help us, atleast all the #IndianFootball followers buying it would make awareness 🤘🤘

— Uday Akasapu (@Yardbirdie) December 19, 2018

Players to have been omitted from the initial list for the #AsianCup2019 Injured: @nishukumar22 & @JerryRinzualaSent back: Bikash Jairu, Sahal Samad, Komal Thatal & Nikhil Poojary. #IndianFootball https://t.co/0fwDvL0PXN

— Injury Time (@InjuryTimeInd) December 19, 2018

I think as a nation we should fully support the @IndianFootball team. That's what is important for the team, that the people root for the team.#BlueTigers #BackTheBlue #AsianCup2019 @IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/EKwRlyQrXf

— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) December 19, 2018

Kicked out Sahal Abdul Samad.. Njangade mwuthe... ???¿¿¿

— K8 (@Arshik_K8) December 19, 2018

They are not turning back, Matlab no player name. #IndianFootball https://t.co/Cakh8uWpJp

— Nikhil (@42nikhil) December 19, 2018

@IndSuperLeague Wherever blue tigers go, we will be there.We will make you feel playing in home ground.We assure you travelling fans will be more than homefans.Come back in flying colours.Jaihind !@indiansuperbot #BlueTigers #Backtheblue #IndianFootball #isl #fansbannega pic.twitter.com/SVcJ0A6mbs

— Blue tiger (@Imsahinkt18) December 19, 2018

It seems all we need to do to get into the World Cup is learn telepathy and super-glue our boots. #indianfootball https://t.co/f22OVk43aN

— Chiranjit Ojha (@ChiranjitOjha) December 19, 2018

Should have included Brandon Fernandes in the squad. He surely is a promising talent.Not sure why Constantine still keeps Jeje in the squad despite his pathetic performance in the recent past.

— Navneeth Nambiar (@Navneeth2703) December 19, 2018

Ridiculous to have not include Rahul Bheke in the squad...Seems intentional from @StephenConstan

— Shravan Dikshit (@Stincerssd) December 19, 2018

What happened to Sahal ??? He was really inform player

— Shamlal (@Shamlal01982011) December 19, 2018

One ought to note that this is not the final 28-member squad that will represent India in the quadrennial extravaganza.

It would be cut down to 23 later. India failed to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup and will be making an appearance after eight long and arduous years.

India begins their 2019 AFC Asian Cup campaign against Thailand on the 6th of January. It will be followed by matches against the hosts UAE on 10th January and Bahrain on 14th January.

If the Blue Tigers finish in the top two or finish in the top four amongst the best third-placed teams, they would qualify to the knockout stage.