Is Khalid Jamil the right man to lead India now with no international experience?

Dubai: Khalid Jamil has no international experience under his belt. Is that a cause for concern when India's chances of qualifying for the Asia Cup depend literally on the next game? India need to win the next qualifier against Singapore to stand any chance of qualifying for the Asia Cup happening in Saudi Arabia in 2027. India currently sit at bottom of the table with just one point after two games.

Singapore and Hong Kong have four points each, and Bangladesh have one but are ahead of India on goals scored. India haven't even scored a single goal yet in the qualifiers. Only the group topper can qualify for the Asia Cup. The chances are grim and the margin for error is minimal. Can Khalid Jamil work his magic in such a short time?

He has worked wonders in his domestic tenures, but international football is completely a different ball game. When AIFF sacked Igor Stimac, they briefed that they were going to hire someone with international coaching experience, but Manolo came in with only managing clubs and ISL experience. After Manolo stepped down, the briefing was the same. AIFF even posted "we are hiring" on social media, which was ridiculous in itself, and appointed Khalid Jamil with no international experience. He was the cheapest option of all considered within the budget.

Is he the right one? Only time will tell. It's a gamble, but what I believe is that given time, he might be able to build a competitive side.

His football might not be good for the eyes; he is a pragmatic coach but he has worked on shoestring budgets during his managerial career and produced results. Moreover, he knows Indian football from the grassroots level to I-League 2, to I-League and ISL, as he has the experience in coaching through the structure. He knows the problems as well.

He might be able to nurture Indians and make them competitive again. It might not work immediately, and India might not qualify for the Asian Cup as the damage is already done there, but perhaps he might be able to identify the right talents and build a team that might work for each other. First and foremost, India need to be built as a team that is difficult to beat.