India 1 (Vikram Partap Singh 25')
drew with
Tajikistan 1 (Sheriddin Boboev 85' p)

AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The Indian men's national team were held to a 1-1 draw by Tajikistan at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in the second of two friendlies during the FIFA International Match Window.

India struck first through Vikram Partap Singh in the 25th minute and defended for large portions of the rest of the match to maintain the lead. However, the Blue Tigers' resistance was broken by an 85th-minute penalty from Sheriddin Boboev, which salvaged the hosts a share of the spoils in the third meeting between the two sides in 10 months.

Tajikistan earned a 3-1 win in the first friendly of this window on June 5 in Tursunzoda, while India were 2-1 winners in the CAFA Nations Cup encounter last August at the same venue where Tuesday's game was played.

India head coach Khalid Jamil made six changes to the line-up from the last friendly, including four players who made their first start for India — Pramveer, Bijoy Varghese, Nikhil Barla and Mohammed Sanan. Farukh Choudhary, who scored from a free-kick in the last game, and forward Rahim Ali also came into the line-up.

The hosts began on the front foot, keeping India on their toes early on. The Blue Tigers conceded three corners in the first 10 minutes, but they were dealt with relative ease. Rahim went into the referee's books in less than four minutes for an elbow to the face of Mekhrubon Karimov.

Tajikistan had their first attempt in the 13th minute as an off-balance Ehsoni Panshanbe chased a long ball from deep but could only blaze his shot over.

Three minutes later, India had their first shot, when Bijoy got on the end of Farukh's free-kick, but his header didn't have enough power to trouble Rustam Yatimov, who collected with ease.

Gradually, India gained more confidence on the ball. Sanan, especially, looked lively, and it was his trickery that ultimately led to the opening goal in the 25th minute. After the 22-year-old won a free-kick just over 30 yards from goal, Farukh stepped up once again and went directly for goal from the dead ball. However, Yatimov could neither catch nor parry, and let the ball loose. Vikram Partap Singh was the fastest to react, bundling the ball in from point-blank range to score his first goal in Indian colours.

The hosts began demonstrating more urgency going forward, but India, buoyed after taking the lead, defended with confidence. In the 33rd minute, Alisher Dzhalilov slipped a dangerous cross into the six-yard box for Muhammadjon Rahimov, but Sandesh Jhingan was alert as ever, putting his body on the line to throw off the Tajik winger.

Tajikistan had a chance to equalise in the 43rd minute when Parviz Umarboev got a free-kick opportunity from right outside the box. The 31-year-old aimed for the top left corner but hit it way wide as Gurpreet Singh Sandhu remained largely untested in the first half.

Backed by a vocal crowd, Igor Angelovski's side grew more desperate, pinning India back for more or less the entirety of the second half.

In the 57th minute, substitute Salokhiddin Irgashev drilled a low ball into the middle that beat Gurpreet and landed at the feet of a sliding Umarboev, who skied his effort.

Moments later, the fresh legs of Irgashev came close to equalising on two occasions. First, he cut inside from the right and launched a left-footed shot hard and low, but straight at Gurpreet. Soon after, he arrived at the far post to try and convert Tabrez Islomov's cross but could not keep it on target.

In between, Rahul Bheke came off the bench to make his 50th appearance for the national team and add more experience to the Indian backline, which was now being challenged more frequently by the Tajik offence.

In the 71st minute, Shervoni Mabatshoev found some space outside the box and took a shot on the turn that was always rising and sailed over harmlessly.

While India bravely defended wave after wave of Tajik attacks, they conceded the equaliser in a rather unwanted manner — via a penalty resulting from a handball. Incongruously, it was India's goalscorer Vikram who caused the infringement, as his arm struck a fierce shot from substitute Furqon Rahimzoda just inside the box.

Sheriddin Boboev, just as he did four days earlier, lodged the penalty into the top corner to make it 1-1 in the 85th minute.

Things could've gone worse for the Blue Tigers if not for Gurpreet's outstretched save in the eighth minute of added time. Alisher Shukurov caught hold of a bouncing ball near the edge of the box and shot through a crowded area, but the Indian custodian did well to dive low and deny a last-minute winner for the hosts.

India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Pramveer (Roshan Singh Naorem 87'), Sandesh Jhingan (C), Akash Mishra, Vikram Partap Singh (Lallianzuala Chhangte 87'), Rahim Ali (Rahul Bheke 63'), Farukh Choudhary (Edmund Lalrindika 87'), Bijoy Varghese, Mohammed Sanan (Nikhil Poojary 77'), Ricky Shabong, Nikhil Barla (Macarton Nickson 88').