The Indian eFootball National Team is set to participate in the AFC eAsian Cup 2023 (Courtesy: AIFF)

The Indian eFootball National Team is set to participate in the AFC eAsian Cup 2023, after being invited to participate in the tournament organised in conjunction with the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. India have been drawn in Group B alongside Uzbekistan and Syria. While Australia had also been drawn into the same group, they had earlier withdrawn from the competition.

The eTigers will play Uzbekistan and Syria, on February 1 and 2, at 5.30 pm and 4.30 pm IST, respectively. Each matchup will consist of two games played consecutively in a 2v2 format. Each team will consist of three players, the three donning the India jersey in the eAC23 being Hemanth Krishna Kommu (Andhra Pradesh), Ibrahim Gulrez (Karnataka), and Charanjot Singh (Chandigarh).

Kommu and Gulrez have made it to the team as the winning members of the 2v2 selection trials, while Charanjot made it by winning the 1v1 trials. The matches will be played on the Playstation 5 console.

The teams that finish in the top two positions in each group, along with the four (out of six) best third-placed teams will make it to the knockout rounds. The Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final will be held in a best-of-three format on February 4 and 5, 2024.

The eAC23 matches will be streamed live on the AFC’s social media platforms including but not limited to the AFC Asian Cup YouTube channel, as well as theafcdotcom YouTube channel.

India’s eAC23 matches:

February 1: India vs Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan vs India; 5.30 pm IST

February 2: Syria vs India, India vs Syria; 4.30 pm IST