Several Indian-origin players playing in Europe hold Overseas Citizenship of India cards, which make them eligible for national team selection
India is a rising force in the footballing world, but its national team, ranked 126 in the FIFA World Rankings, does not do justice to the football craze in the country. Despite boasting of talented players from all across the nation, the Indian team have not been able to punch above their weight in international matches. (More Football News)
As a result, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has looked towards recruiting Indian-origin players born in other countries who ply their trade in foreign leagues. Many of these players hold an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card, which allows them to visit and work in the country freely.
At the moment, Indian-origin players, despite being eligible to represent India under FIFA guidelines, cannot play in the national team as AIFF and Indian government do not allow for dual citizenship.
Whether these players should be allowed to don the blue jersey is a raging debate, especially in light of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualification match against Bangladesh on 25 March. The Bengal Tigers recruited Premier League라이브 바카라 British-born star Hamza Choudhury to their squad, further fuelling demands for OCI players to represent India.
Let라이브 바카라 have a look at the five OCI players who can represent India in the future if the government allows them to.
Danny Batth, an English footballer who currently plays for EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers, is eligible to play for India through his father. An OCI card holder, he has attempted to play for the Indian national team since 2017, but his application for dual citizenship has been repeatedly rejected.
On club level, he spent most of his career playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, helping the club gain promotion to the Premier League. However, he was cruelly cut from the squad and sent out on loan, and he has since played for five different teams in the Championship level.
“I think (India is) the only country in the world where they don't like players from different countries coming back to play and represent them, Batth said in an interview. “I think it is (a shame) because obviously it's a great nation… I'm sure they would love nothing more than seeing someone born in England playing for the national team”.
The 26-year-old Yan Dhana, who currently plays for Hearts of Midlothian in Scotland, is eligible to play for India through his father despite being born in England. The midfielder, who made his Championship debut for Swansea, has attempted to play for India for several years since making his interest known in 2023.
Despite carrying an OCI card, he has been turned down by AIFF for not carrying an Indian passport, which would make him ineligible to play in the British football pyramid due to India라이브 바카라 low FIFA rankings.
“I spoke to the manager (Manolo Marquez) about a month ago and obviously he's desperate for me to play because they have a new manager,” Dhanda said in December. “He made contact and he's desperate for me to play but at the moment we're still waiting for the Government to change their rules.”
Iranian footballer Omid Singh has made more than 100 appearances in the Iranian top flight, but is yet to earn a cap for his home country. Instead, he was contacted by former Indian coach Igor Stimac about representing his father라이브 바카라 homeland.
In 2022, Omid confirmed his intentions to play for India, saying, “My heart is with India, with the Indian people and I (would) love to be in India and represent the country.” However, the winger, who saw a move to East Bengal collapse three years ago, is yet to make his bow for his adopted nation.
Triman Ranvir, born in Belgium, is eligible to play for India through both his parents. The 20-year-old forward came through the youth ranks of Belgian club SK Kampelaar, before making his senior debut for Finnish club Pori Akatemia. He had a brief stint in his ancestral homeland, spending half a season with Minerva Punjab. However, he is back in Belgium now, plying his trade for amateur club K. Berchem.
“I have got much love in India and after my tour in India I have started receiving more love from Indian people,” Ranvir said. “Generally I don't get such response from Belgium. In India, the passion is more than that of Belgium.”
Another English player on the list, 23-year-old Barnet-born midfielder Dilan Markanday has played in the English second division as well as for top-flight clubs in Scotland. He currently plays for Leyton Orient in EFL League One, and has two league goals to his name this season.
Although he is yet to publicly declare his allegiance to his ancestral nation, if that may change if he fails to get a nod from England – which does not look likely at the moment.