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The Indian men's national team will return to action after their earlier exploits in the SAFF Championship on Thursday, September 7. They will clash directly with Iraq in the King's Cup 2023 semi-finals at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Thailand.
Ranked 70th in the world, Iraq are the highest-ranked team in the competition. They are the favorites in this fixture and to lift the trophy.
The Middle Eastern nation slumped to a narrow 0-1 defeat against Colombia in their last match. However, their victories over Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman prior to that are a testament to their quality.
Meanwhile, the Blue Tigers are the second-highest-ranked team in the competition and are in the midst of a glorious run in the international circuit. They completed a hattrick of trophies earlier this year, winning the Tri-Nation Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, and the SAFF Championship on the trot.
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However, the 49th edition of the King's Cup is expected to be a comparatively stiffer challenge.
Igor Stimac will not be able to call upon evergreen talisman Sunil Chhetri in this competition. There are also a couple of injury concerns in the squad after the recently concluded Durand Cup.
However, it promises to be an enticing opportunity for Stimac to try out a few of the players who have not received extended runs in the first-team.
India's squad for King's Cup 2023
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh.
Defenders: Asish Rai, Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Brandon Fernandes, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte.
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Rahul KP.
The Blue Tigers will be without the services of Akash Mishra and Subhasish Bose for the Iraq clash.
India vs Iraq: Head-to-head records
The two nations have collided on six occasions throughout their history, with the Blue Tigers yet to register a single victory.
Total Matches: 6
India wins: 0
Iraq wins: 5
Draws: 1
India vs Iraq: Prediction for the King's Cup 2023 clash
Past records, the present form, and everything otherwise suggest a straightforward victory for Iraq. Additionally, Stimac's men will also be missing a few of their stalwarts.
However, if there's one thing the Blue Tigers have proven over the last few months is that irrespective of the caliber of the opponents, they will never back down. Even if they suffer a defeat in this match, expect them to put up a solid fight until the final whistle.
Prediction: India 0-1 Iraq.
