When the jerseys are created for a tournament like the Asian Cup, where the squads and squad numbers are set, the numbers are usually printed. The Inter-Continental Cup isn’t truly a competitive tournament, hence the squads continually changing, which is why there are no names.
As per the sources, it claims that the Indian football teams did not have their names displayed on the back of their jerseys during the recent Asian Cup qualifiers. In addition, no sponsors were mentioned on the Indian jerseys too.
Indian Players and the Real Reason
During friendlies or low-stakes matches, including significant contests with a primary focus on zonal relevance, no team is obligated to name players. This is a practice that is not just followed by the Indian squad. It has been followed worldwide including a lot of practical implications.
Friendlies and qualifiers are used to put different players to the test. They may be selected for big competitions such as the FIFA World Cup based on their performances. Because each country’s national pool is often quite vast, no specific number is assigned to any individual player. There may be a few exceptions. This is only a testing ground.
FIFA and Other Championships
We also came to know from the sources, that the punishment for removing the jersey after scoring a goal was based on the fear that the players might expose such contents by printing anything on their inner clothing, resulting in a condition known as conflict of interest.
For matches (friendlies + qualifications) other than the SAFF Championship, Asian Cup, or World Cup, the All India Football Federation has a kit sponsorship contract with Nike that sees them furnish a set of 46 (23 home + 23 away) match kits and 46 training kits + bibs for the full season (subject to qualification).
This applies to all international teams around the world whose federations are jerks who can’t agree. Furthermore, the FIFA World Cup or any other significant competition has a unique setting. The roster is disclosed ahead of time, including the number that each player will wear.
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