India will sorely miss their talismanic skipper Sunil Chhetri as they return to action after two months against higher-ranked Iraq in the four-team King's Cup, on Thursday.
Chhetri, who played a key role in India's title triumph in the Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship, has taken a break to spend time with his wife following the birth of their son.
The Igor Stimac-coached side returns to action on the back of winning a hat-trick of titles that also include the Tri-Nation tournament in Imphal in March.
Ranked 29 places above India in the FIFA rankings, Iraq, who recently won the Arabian Gulf Cup, will start as firm favourites in the four-nation tournament where the winners of the two round robin matches play the final.
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