BHOPAL: Forward Ketan Kushwaha was on Thursday appointed captain of the Indian team for the upcoming U18 Asia Cup from May 29 to June 6 in Kakamigahara, Japan.
The squad was selected after a rigorous national coaching camp at Udhav Das Mehta (Bhai ji) Central Centre at SAI Bhopal under the team's coaching staff comprising Sardar Singh and Rajnish Mishra.
The team's preparations included a high-profile four-match series against the Australia U-18 team in Bhopal as part of an exposure tour.
Gearing up for the tournament, the Indian team won one match against Australia U18 and lost one. Two matches ended up as drawn affairs.
Commenting on the final squad for the tournament, coach Sardar said, "The selection process was incredibly competitive, but we have picked an 18-member squad that gives us the perfect tactical balance.
"Our training in Bhopal and the exposure matches against a top-tier side like Australia gave these boys a great understanding of international pressure and match tempo. We have spent the last few weeks working heavily on our tactical discipline, penalty corner routines, and structure.
"The boys are in high spirits; and going into a major tournament like the Asia Cup, our objective is clear — we want to execute our plans effectively, top our group and put ourselves in the best possible position to bring home the trophy," he added.
India has been drawn in Pool A alongside South Korea, hosts Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Kazakhstan.
The Indian team will kick off their pool-stage campaign on May 29 against Kazakhstan, before taking on hosts Japan on May 31.
They will then face South Korea on June 1 and wrap up their group matches against Chinese Taipei on June 3.
Following the gruelling group stage, the top two teams from Pool A and Pool B will advance directly to the semi-finals scheduled for June 5, with the tournament concluding with the final on June 6.
Goalkeepers: Sawan Kumar, Ayush Rajak
Defenders: Ansh Bahutra, Arman Soreng, Ashish Tani Purti, Arshdip Singh, Avi Manikpuri, Romit Pal
Midfielders: Rahul Yadav, Premchand Soy, Varinder Singh, Karan Gautam, Siddharth Ben
Forwards: Ketan Kushwaha (Captain), Akash Deep, Gazee Khan, Shahrukh Ali, Prahalad Rajbhar.