India are all set for their fifth AFC Asian Cup 2023 campaign on January 13 as they take on the mighty Australian team in their opening match.

The Socceroos are ranked 25th in the world rankings and will be a huge mountain for Igor Stimac and his men to climb on the day. The match will take place at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.

For India to keep their hopes alive of reaching the knockout stage, they would need to battle hard and hope for a positive result against Australia on Saturday. Following, another big test awaits them in the form of Uzbekistan, who have some strong names in their lineup.

A win against Syria will be vital for the Indian team as they look to avoid a group round exit from the tournament and even a third place finish could help their cause. According to the format of the AFC Asian Cup, the best two sides progress and four third-placed sides from the six groups will progress to the next round.

AFC Asian Cup 2023: Live Streaming and Telecast details

Where to watch the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Live on TV?

The AFC Asian Cup 2023 will be telecasted live on the Sports 18 Network TV channels.

Where to livestream the AFC Asian Cup 2023?

The AFC Asian Cup 2023 can be livestreamed on the JioCinema app.

AFC Asian Cup 2023: India’s group fixtures schedule

January 13, 2024: Australia vs India (17:00 IST, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)
January 18, 2024: India vs Uzbekistan (20:00 IST, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)
January 23, 2024: Syria vs India (17:00 IST, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor)

AFC Asian Cup 2023: India’s full squad

Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh.
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Partap Singh.

Captain and Coach’s comments

Sunil Chhetri openly admitted that India’s group-stage opponents Australia and Uzbekistan, in the upcoming Asian Cup are “a couple of levels” above them. However, Chhetri also highlighted that this will provide the Indian team with an opportunity to test their calibre against these teams at the World Cup-level.

“It’s a massive tournament for us, purely because we get to rub shoulders with the best in Asia. Teams like Australia and Uzbekistan are probably of the World Cup level, so you can test yourself against them,” Chhetri said about India’s Asian Cup preparation.

Coach Stimac wasn’t too pleased with the draw and said it is difficult to expect big results with a short time for preparation.

“We are far from being happy with the draw but it is what it is,” said Stimac.

“With a very short time for preparation it’s difficult to expect great things, but my even greater concern are the injuries to some of our key players.

“Anyway, we are going to give our best and make it very difficult for our opponents.”