Kerala Blasters goalkeeper Arsh Anwer Shaikh and midfielder Ebindas Yesudasan have been named in a senior India squad for the first time, for the SAFF Championship 2026 in Dhaka.
The call-ups are a reward for two players the Blasters have trusted early in the new ISL season. Kerala Blasters fans will hope to see at least one of them in action against Maldives this afternoon.
India have sent a young squad to the SAFF Championship, coached by Naushad Moosa, because the senior team is touring New Zealand. That has opened the door for several ISL players to get their first taste of international football.
The Blasters are fifth in the ISL table after a slow start: a win at NorthEast United thanks to Momo Yansané’s long-range goal, and goalless draws against Mumbai City and Chennaiyin. They have only one ISL game in November. That’s an away trip to FC Goa on November 29.
For a club that has given Indian football several Kerala-born stars, two new national-team debutants is a welcome boost.
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