From October 1 to 16, 2021, the SAFF Championship will be played in the Maldives. The biennial international men’s football championship will be held for the 13th time. The tournament was postponed from 2020 to September 2021 because of the Covid-19 outbreak, but was rescheduled to October after Bangladesh withdrew as host.

India has won the SAFF Championship seven times, ranking them the all-time champions. Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives will join the Blue Tigers in this season. Bhutan, on the other hand, has opted out owing to travel restrictions established as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, while the Pakistan Football Association has been suspended by FIFA since April 7, 2021, due to third-party meddling.

On October 4, India will play Bangladesh in the SAFF Championship for the first time. The competition’s final, which will be held on October 16, 2021, will include the top two teams following the initial round-robin format.

India is currently in Nepal for two friendly matches. The hosts held them to a 1-1 tie in the opening round, and the second match will be played on September 5. The Blue Tigers held a 15-day training in Kolkata before departing for Nepal, under the direction of head coach Igor Stimac.

After returning from Nepal, the Indian squad members will join their respective ISL (Indian Super League) club training camps before flying to the Maldives for the competition.