Overview
- India conceded to Sheriddin Boboev (penalty, 9'), Mekhrubon Karimov (61') and Ehson Panjshanbe (67') and managed a late consolation from Farukh Choudhary in a 1-3 defeat on Friday, June 5.
- The loss is the Blue Tigers' third straight friendly defeat following scoreless outings at the Unity Cup, extending pressure on head coach Khalid Jamil after a run of poor results.
- Squad selection remained disrupted because Mohun Bagan Super Giant withheld several players and star forward Ryan Williams missed the trip with an injury, with Parthib Gogoi called up as his replacement.
- Tajikistan entered as the stronger side on paper after qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup, they are higher in FIFA rankings and this match marked the start of Igor Angelovski's tenure on the touchline.
- India will use the June 9 return friendly in Hisor as a final chance to assess players and combinations with the match streamed in India on FanCode and no mainstream TV broadcast reported.