Nepal-born defender Bharti joins India camp
New Delhi: Nepal-born defender Abneet Bharti has joined the Indian senior men’s team camp in Kochi ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong, the AIFF said on Wednesday. The development comes a day after Ryan Williams was named in the squad for the same fixture.
As things stand, India now has two foreign-based players in the camp for the first time -- 27-year-old defender Bharti and 32-year-old winger Williams who recently obtained his Indian passport.
Williams had missed the Bangladesh match as his FIFA clearance arrived late and the Bengaluru FC player is now set for his much-anticipated India debut against Hong Kong on March 31. India are already out of contention for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia and are now looking to rebuild the side. With experienced defender Sandesh Jhingan in the fag end of his career, the team is in need of a reliable centre-back alongside Anwar Ali, and Bharti could be an option if he gets clearance.
However Bharti is still awaiting FIFA clearance, without which he cannot make his debut. Head coach Khalid Jamil will assess him in the camp ahead of the Hong Kong match.
