The Indian men’s basketball team is gearing up for a crucial set of matches in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers.
Scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, India will face Qatar on Friday, November 22, and Kazakhstan on Monday, November 25, as the second window of the qualifiers begins.
India is currently at the bottom of Group E, having yet to secure a win in the ongoing tournament.
The team suffered a 50-63 defeat against Kazakhstan in their first match and faced a crushing 53-86 loss to Iran.
Turnovers have been a significant issue for India, with 20 and 18 turnovers in the two matches respectively, highlighting an area that needs urgent improvement.
Both India and Qatar are eager to notch their first win in the qualifiers. India will be playing under the guidance of head coach Scott Fleming, who is in his second stint with the national team.
The Indian squad has seen significant changes, with Amjyot Singh, Harsh Dagar, Kushal Singh, and Prashant Singh Rawat being included, while Amritpal Singh, Amarendra Nayak, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, and Vaisakh Karimbingal Manoj have been replaced.
India, ranked 76th in the FIBA World Ranking, will face a lower-ranked opponent for the first
time in these qualifiers.
Qatar, positioned at 101st, last competed against India in the 2015 FIBA
Asian Championship and holds a superior record, having won four of their last five encounters.
Despite the ranking difference, Qatar’s historical performance against India indicates a tough
match ahead.
The top two teams from each group will earn direct qualification to the tournament finals in
Saudi Arabia next year.
Additionally, the best third-placed teams from each of the six groups will enter another qualifying round to vie for the final four spots.
Fans can watch all the matches live on FIBA’s YouTube channel.
India’s journey in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers continues to be a test of resilience and strategy.
With new players and a seasoned coach, the team hopes to turn their fortunes around and
make a strong bid for qualification.
India’s Squad for the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers:
Sahaij Pratap Singh Sekhon
Muin Bek Hafeez
Kanwar Gurbaz Singh Sandhu
Princepal Singh
Palpreet Singh Brar
Pranav Prince
Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi
Arvind Kumar Muthu Krishnan
Amjyot Singh
Harsh Dagar
Kushal Singh
Prashant Singh Rawat
