New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Vineet Rai has been called up to the national squad as a replacement for midfielder Dhanapal Ganesh, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Thursday.
Ganesh, who is suffering from typhoid, has been unable to attend the national camp for the Hero Intercontinental Cup that started in Mumbai on Wednesday.
This is the first time that Rai has been included in the senior India squad. The 20-year-old midfielder from Assam represents Delhi Dynamos in the Indian Super League (ISL). He has seven caps for the India U-23 squad, having made his debut in 2015.
The summoned players assembled for the camp in Mumbai on Wednesday while players from Bengaluru FC will join them on Friday after finishing their club commitments for the AFC Cup.
Hosts India will kick-off their campaign in the inaugural edition of the Hero Intercontinental Cup at the Mumbai Football Arena on June 1.
The Indians will face Chinese Taipei in their campaign opener. The tournament will also feature New Zealand and Kenya.