The Indian football team will take on Maldives in a friendly match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Wednesday.The India vs Maldives football friendly will begin at 7:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) and will be available on live streaming and telecast.Wednesday’s friendly against Maldives will see the return of the 40-year-old Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri, who reversed his international retirement earlier this month.The Blue Tigers’ all-time leading goal-scorer, Chhetri announced his retirement from international football last June following a stalemate against Kuwait in India’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.Among the best football players India has ever produced, he is currently the leading Indian goal-scorer in ISL 2024-25 having found the back of the net 12 times.The upcoming friendly against Maldives will also be India’s final preparation match ahead of their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying third-round opener against Bangladesh on March 25.India have been drawn with Bangladesh, Hong Kong China and Singapore in Group C for the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.India’s upcoming friendly against Maldives and their AFC Asian Cup qualifying third-round opener against Bangladesh will mark the first-ever international men’s matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.India’s Lallianzuala Chhangte has been ruled out of the clash due to an injury.India vs Maldives football head-to-headIndia hold a dominant record against Maldives, having won 15 of the 21 head-to-head matches. Maldives have won on four occasions while two matches ended in draws.The last time these two sides squared off was in the SAFF Championship 2021. India won the game 3-1 with a brace from Sunil Chhetri and a goal by Manvir Singh.Where to watch India vs Maldives football friendly 2025 liveLive streaming of the India vs Maldives football friendly will be available on the JioHotstar app and website. Live telecast of the IND vs MDV match can be seen on Star Sports 3 TV channel.India football squad vs Maldives friendlyIndian football team: Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Vishal Kaith, Asish Rai, Boris Singh Thangjam, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Hmingthanmawia, Mehtab Singh, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose, Ashique Kuruniyan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Brandon Fernandes, Brison Fernandes, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh.
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