The Indian men’s football team will take on New Zealand in an international friendly at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland on Thursday.

This will be the first of the two friendlies between the two sides in this international window to mark 100 years of connection between the two nations through sport.

Khalid Jamil has named a much-changed squad for the friendlies from the last window, where India played Panama, Brazil and Uruguay.

Captain and senior goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was dropped from the squad, while Som Kumar, Ricky Meetei Haobam, Lalremtluanga Fanai and Tomba Singh Haobam have all earned call ups.

Bijoy Varghese, Muhammad Suhail and Liston Colaco have left the ongoing SAFF championship, where India is fielding a second-string side, to link up to the senior for the two friendlies.

While India is ranked 138 in the world, New Zealand is 88th.