"Believe I can bring them back to their best" - India head coach Igor Stimac on selecting out-of-form Sahal Abdul Samad and Udanta Singh

In a country of over a billion, there are always more pundits than players. Hence, everyone had their say once head coach Igor Stimac announced the final squad of the Indian men's senior team for the Intercontinental Cup 2023.

Many were left puzzled seeing Sahal Abdul Samad and Udanta Singh being included in the revised 26-member squad after their respective underwhelming club seasons.

Kerala Blasters midfielder Samad scored just three goals in the Indian Super League (ISL) while the Bengaluru FC winger Udanta made just three starts from 17 appearances.

But Stimac, during a press conference on Saturday, June 3, underlined in response to a Sportskeeda query that his national camp selections aren't entirely based on the club performances of the players.

"I am not selecting players based on just their actual form for their respective clubs. Because I do have precise data on what certain players can do for us in the national team. Also, I cannot speak about what their club coaches have been working on with them. Some of their poor performances might be down to the coaches as well," the Croatian tactician said.

"I know the capacity of the two mentioned players, Sahal Abdul Samad and Udanta Singh, and their ability to hurt any team in Asia. That's why I trust them and I believe I can bring them back to their best," he added.

Whether it's the Intercontinental Cup, SAFF Championship, or the King's Cup, all the tournaments are in tandem to prepare the Blue Tigers for the ultimate challenge of the AFC Asian Cup early next year.

How is the preparation level of the players with the showpiece continental event just eight months away?

"Obviously, we're still not ready. We are using this long camp to improve our passing and finishing, and our patterns in the final third. We're working on the mental conditiioning of the players too and now have a sports psychologist who is helping the players," Stimac answered.

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Igor Stimac says Suresh Singh Wangjam suffered an injury in the Indian national camp for flouting instructions

At the press conference, Igor Stimac was also quizzed about the numerous players released from the national camp due to injuries. The Indian head coach found it necessary to underline that except for Suresh Singh Wangjam, none of the players suffered any injury during the national camp itself.

"The players who were released from the national camp carried previous chronical injuries they were having throughout the ISL season.There were no reasons to keep these players back given they needed long recovery time. Brandon Fernandes and Chinglensana Singh were realesed on their request for private reasons," the 55-year-old said.

"The only player who suffered an injury during this camp was Suresh Singh Wangjam, that too because he didn't follow the instructions during the training sessions," Stimac added.

While Suresh will be gutted about missing out on the final squad, the 26 selected players will be eager to cement their spot in the national squad with every presented opportunity.

India will lock horns with Mongolia in their Intercontinental Cup opener on June 9. The other two opponents are Vanuatu and Lebanon, whom the Blue Tigers will face on June 12 and June 15, respectively,