Sunil remains, but Gurpreet out of the probables for the Thailand friendly and the Asian Cup qualifier; Suhail Bhat gets maiden call
India head coach Manolo Márquez announced a 28-member probables’ squad for the national camp in Kolkata on 18th May before the June FIFA International window. Mohun Bagan Super Giants striker Suhail Ahmad Bhat has received a maiden call-up for his impressive performance in the Super Cup, while the country’s leading custodian, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, remains out of the side. He last played for India in a friendly against Malaysia last year, where his blunder gifted a goal to the opponent in a 1-1 draw. He was kept out of the squad for India’s first two games of 2025, a friendly against the Maldives and the Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, with Vishal Kaith replacing him between the sticks. However, in a bid to regain his form Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has gone back to his former Norweian club Stabæk Fotball, which currently plays in the Norwegian first division league, which is the second tier in the country to undergo an intense training with the first eleven. He posted on the social media recently that he got permission to train only with the club’s first eleven for around two months. The Bengaluru FC shot-stopper would be training under his former goalkeeping coach, Espen Granli. India is currently eyeing three consecutive qualifications in the AFC Asian Cup, and is drawn in Group C with Bangladesh, Hong Kong China, and Singapore in the third round of qualifiers. The Blue Tigers’ next big competitive fixtures will be against Hong Kong, which they will play away on 10th June at the Kai Tak Sports Park, in Kowloon City. The first two qualifiers in Group C, between India and Bangladesh in Shillong, and between Singapore and Hong Kong, China, in Singapore, ended in stalemates, leaving all four teams with a point apiece. As part of its preparations for the qualifier, India will have a 10-day training camp in Kolkata, followed by a friendly against Thailand on 4th June.
Pakistani cricketer dies on the field while playing PCB Challenge League
Pakistan’s cricketing community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of 24-year-old fast bowler Aleem Khan, who suffered a fatal cardiac arrest during a PCB Challenge League match in Bannu on 5th May. The young pacer collapsed in the middle of his bowling run-up, prompting immediate medical attention. Despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital. Hailing from Bannu, Aleem had been steadily making a name for himself in Pakistan’s domestic cricket scene. While he had yet to break into top-tier competitions, his performances in regional leagues showcased his potential. His recent outings, as reported by CricHeroes, highlighted his talent—he took seven wickets across T20 matches and also contributed valuable lower-order runs, including a knock of 11 runs, reinforcing his ability as a bowling all-rounder. The PCB Challenge League, an initiative aimed at nurturing emerging cricketers, now faces scrutiny over medical preparedness and player health safeguards in domestic tournaments, especially in remote venues. Umpire Inamullah Khan, who witnessed the tragic incident, described how Aleem suddenly collapsed mid-bowl. Medical assistance was called immediately, but despite swift action, his life could not be saved. Expressing sorrow, PCB Director of Domestic Cricket, Abdullah Khurram Niazi, called Aleem’s passing an irreplaceable loss for Pakistan cricket. The shocking incident has reignited discussions on the physical demands placed on athletes and the urgent need for enhanced health monitoring systems in domestic cricket to prevent similar tragedies.
IPL to continue as schedule despite Operation Sindoor
The Indian Premier League will continue as per schedule amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. A top source in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told India Today that there is no change to the IPL schedule at present, even as the board closely monitors the situation. A total of 56 matches out of 74 have been played in the IPL 2025 season, with the race to the playoffs heating up. The IPL, which began on 22 May, has carried on even as terrorists killed 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on 22 April. On Wednesday, India launched Operation Sindoor a tri-service counter-offensive that saw coordinated strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam. Notably, a group calling itself The Resistance Front (TRF), recognized as a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack. “BCCI is monitoring the situation and depending on circumstances, a call will be taken. For now, the IPL will run as per schedule,” a top BCCI source said. While speaking to India Today about the IPL’s contingency measures, he said, “The IPL Governing Council is keeping an eye on the situation. There are a lot of speculative things going on; we cannot do anything about that. But whenever the time comes to take such a decision where it seems that something needs to be done in the country’s interest, then the BCCI will stand in solidarity with the government and the nation.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son gets maiden Portugal U-15 call-up
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son Cristiano dos Santos has been called up to the Portugal U-15 football team for the first time on Tuesday. The development of Dos Santos getting selected in the youth national team was shared by the Al Nassr star who took to Instagram to share the exciting news. Like his father, the 14-year-old Dos Santos currently plays for the Al Nassr youth team in Saudi Arabia. He also had spells at Juventus and Manchester United- Ronaldo’s former clubs. Portugal U-15 will face the likes of Japan, Greece and England at the Vlatko Markovic youth tournament in Croatia scheduled to be held from May 13 to 18. Beaming with pride, Ronaldo wrote on Instagram, “Proud of you, son.” Dos Santos’s made a move to Al Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 after Ronaldo left the Old Trafford following a fall out with then Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag. Prior to that, Dos Santos represented Juventus at the youth level. Following his move to Al Nassr, Dos Santos impressed everyone in the Saudi Arabian youth division. He has also been at Real Madrid academy. According to a BBC report, Dos Santos has scored as many as 58 goals in a season during his time with Juventus. He has also played alongside former Manchester United great Wayne Rooney’s son, Kai, at the Old Trafford during Ronaldo’s second stint with English giants. Notably, Dos Santos is also eligible to play for the United States – his country of birth – and Spain because of Ronaldo’s residency when his father was playing for Real Madrid.
Coach says support staff and physiotherapist are the ‘unsung heroes’
Sudeep Pakrashi Bengal football has been facing criticism and disappointment over the vacuum in producing promising footballers from the state, but Bengal Football Academy (BFA) is setting an example. A contingent that consists of footballers, coaches, and even the state administrator has drawn the attention of the country’s football fraternity through an inspiring performance in the ongoing AIFF Elite Under-17 league in Guwahati. Subrata Bhattacharya, the team’s Under-17 coach however opined his support-staff, especially the team’s physiotherapist Gautam Mitra are the unsung heroes behind the team’s consistent show. BFA has been in stupendous form in the elite phase of the ongoing AIFF under-17 elite league, being unbeaten with four consecutive victories and a draw against AIFA to ensure a berth in the quarterfinal. Before their convincing 2-0 victory against Mohun Bagan on Tuesday, BFA humbled the teams like Kerala Blasters, Sreenidi Deccan and Mohammedan Sporting. The significant part of their consistency is the fitness of the team and the exuberance the boys have been showing on the pitch despite the crude reality that they are getting only one-day rest between the two matches. Bhattacharya when asked about the key factors behind the consistent show, explained, “I do not want to mention Tuesday’s victory only against heavyweight Mohun Bagan. The important thing is the boys’ consistency despite the lack of adequate rest between the two matches. We are getting only one day’s rest between two matches.” He continued, “This has been possible only due to our support-staff, especially physiotherapist Gautam Mitra’s huge contribution. He has been showing magic, helping even an injured footballer to recover and play his next match within only a day. The other coaches of this team and the physiotherapist are the real heroes.” Simultaneously, the experienced coach praised the BFA’s Chief Executive Officer Deep Krishna Hazra for his tireless hard work for the boys, off the field. “Despite being busy with administrative activities, he has been with us in Guwahati for the last two weeks and making arrangement of everything the boys and coaches need every day. His support has become a big motivation for the boys.” Bhattacharya also lamented that Tanbir Dey who struck 50 goals already this season is still being overlooked for the youth national call-up. “The 16-year-old boy has scored 50 goals this season already. Is not it enough to get a national call-up? I feel sad to have noticed that nowadays in the case of national call-ups, only players’ height and weight are observed, not his skill,” explained Bhattacharya. But at the same time, the coach heaped praise on other footballers also saying, “Not only Tanbir, other boys have also been in excellent form especially defender Roshan Chhetri and Ishan Debnath, the midfielder have been performing brilliantly.” Under-16 national coach Isfaq Ahmed is presently in Guwahati to scout potential footballers. It is learned that he is impressed by Tanbir’s performance so far. BFA will face Punjab FC in the quarter-final on Thursday.
