Intercontinental Cup 2018: How India could line-up as Stephen Constantine looks to prepare Sunil Chhetri and co for Asia

The inaugural edition of the intercontinental cup is slated to begin in Mumbai from 1st June. The four-nation tournament has been organised to give the Blue Tigers a platform to start preparations for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in UAE.

With New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, and Kenya set to fight it out in the Intercontinental Cup, Stephen Constantine may have his work cut out, in order to put out a competitive side against.

Playing against teams like New Zealand and Kenya will surely help India prepare for the tournament as New Zealand have played the World Cup, and Kenya have a lot of physical presence in their team.

Stephen Constantine has called up 30 players to the national teams preparatory camp, which includes 26 players from the ISL and 4 from the I-League. Unfortunately though, the squad has had to be cut down to a 29-man list after Souvik Chakraborty returned from the national camp with chicken pox.

It has become a tradition of sorts to criticise the national team coach for his team selection, as he overlooked promising players like Brandon Fernandes, Romeo Fernandes, Mandar Rao Desai, Lalrinzuala Changte, Jerry Mawihmingthanga. Constantine, like always, has picked his chosen and favoured bunch of players, those he describes as players who can carry out instructions properly.

However, he has called up Laldanmawia Ralte the East Bengal right winger, and Ashique Kuruniyan the young FC Pune City winger for the camp. Seasoned campaigners Pritam Kotal, Pronay Halder, have made a comeback from injury and will look to play a part in the Intercontinental Cup.

Vinit Rai, the Delhi Dynamos midfielder, who impressed everyone with his calm, composed style of play in the ISL this season has been called up. Sunil Chhetri and Balwant Singh to have made it to the team after being rested for the tie against Kyrgyzstan.

Players like Dhanpal Ganesh, Anirudh Thapa, Sanjiban Ghosh, Davinder Singh and Seiminlen Doungel, who had an impressive domestic season, will look to get into the gaffer's good books as the Asian Cup draws nearer.

Stephen Constantine though, is likely to give his old favourites the first preference as they know his style of play better, and have produced the required results.

India’s predicted XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Narayan Das, Anas Edathodika, Sandesh Jhingan, Lalruatthara; Halicharan Narzary, Md Rafique, Rowllin Borges, Udanta Singh; Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua.

India's Predicted XI

Key substitutes: Anirudh Thapa, Balwant Singh, Seiminlen Doungel, Dhanpal Ganesh.