India, Sept. 26 -- So far, India have coped admirably with the season being stalled for no fault of the players, All India Football Federation (AIFF) or its commercial partners. Four matches in 11 days in the CAFA Nations Cup saw Khalid Jamil's team carve out two wins against higher-ranked opponents and finish third. It would have been good at any time but many players having no scope for pre-season training made it nothing short of incredible.

Jamil has begun preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore but the familiar club-country tug-of-war has meant the new India head coach is training with only 18 players. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has joined but none of the Bengaluru FC outfield players have. Ditto the trio from Eas...