Kolkata: With India set to face Russia in a two-match women’s international friendly series on October 8 and October 11 in Kolkata, head coach Crispin Chhetri is expected to use this as an opportunity to give several young players a chance for the senior international football. The national camp has been set up in Kolkata ahead of the two matches, with a number of Under-20 players in contention to be named as India look to future-proof their squad.
The decision is in line with Chhetri’s long-term plans for the squad. Earlier this year, the coach opted to field a younger squad in the FIFA Series in Kenya, with the average age of India’s 22-player travelling squad at 22.8 years. He also expressed his desire to find the players that will form the spine of the team for the next Asian Cup and World Cup qualifying campaigns.
Chhetri’s focus on the next generation
Chhetri has previously indicated that three or four players from the U20 group could soon challenge for senior-team places.
Among those already identified by the coach are Shubhangi Singh, Cindy Remruatpuii Colneyall, Sulanjana Paul of whom were part of India’s U20 setup. Other players from the current U20 group including captain Shilji Shaji, Bhumika Devi Khumukcham and Arina Devi Nameirakpam could also be brought into the consideration as the senior team looks to widen its pool of players.
Thoibisana Chanu is also in Contention for Senior Team Call-Up. The East Bengal player is already known to the national team setup having featured in preparations for the senior team by Chhetri in the past, while AIFF has identified her as one of the young players who can battle for senior team places in the years ahead.
Chhetri has already praised the potential in India’s U20 side revealing that a number of young players could battle for places in not only the squad but also starting XI in the senior team in the coming days, and Thoibisana was one of the young players he had worked with during an earlier camp for the national team. A start against Russia would therefore be the next step in that process.
Another player likely to be considered for the Russia friendlies is East Bengal’s Sathi Debnath. The player is one of a number of names being reported as in contention to be included as Chhetri looks to expand the senior-team pool. The two games against Russia could give Sathi a taste of the intensity of senior international football against a vastly higher-ranked opposition.
However, with the final Russia squad yet to be announced, these players should be seen as potential.
For a young player coming into the senior set-up, the challenge will be considerable. Russia’s physicality and experience could present a very different test to youth international football, making the Kolkata fixtures an important opportunity for India’s coaches to evaluate their options.
Manisha Kalyan and Aveka Singh expected to miss out
The youth focus is also being influenced by the expected lack of two established attacking players. Manisha Kalyan and Aveka Singh are both said to be unavailable for the Russia squad, with both players currently playing in Europe. Their respective clubs have fixtures during the European season which makes their participation in the Kolkata friendlies highly unlikely.
Manisha’s loss will see one of the most experienced attacking options for India left out of the equation. She has also been given the time off with her club in Peru earlier this year, with Chhetri himself stating the importance of regular club football for her growth and adjustment. This opens up more space for India’s young forwards and attacking players to make an impact.
A Balance of Youth and Experience
While it is likely that an emphasis will be placed on youth, India are unlikely to field an entirely inexperienced squad.
Chhetri had a policy of mixing youthful faces with the established group at the start of 2026. In the FIFA Series squad, 17 of the 26 players from India’s Asian Cup group were retained with several younger players being introduced into the system.
The selection of opponent makes the potential youth experiment particularly interesting. Russia are ranked significantly higher than India and have already beaten the Blue Tigresses 2-0 at the 2025 Pink Ladies Cup. The upcoming fixtures thus provide an opportunity for India’s young players to measure themselves against a team that can challenge their decision-making, physicality and defensive discipline.
The games are scheduled to take place on October 8 and October 11 in Kolkata, as part of AIFF’s September-October international calendar.
