The Bangladesh-India clash always carries extra heat—regardless of what’s at stake. Both sides are already out of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, yet Tuesday night’s match at the National Stadium in Dhaka — kicking off at 8 PM local time — is anything but a dead rubber. The build-up has been fiery, and at the center of the newest wave of excitement stands on Hamza Choudhury.

But India insist they are not planning for just one man. Their focus, head coach Khalid Jamil says, is on the entire Bangladesh team.

India trained at the match venue on Monday morning before Jamil faced the press at the team hotel. Unsurprisingly, most questions revolved around Hamza Choudhury, whose arrival last March transformed the Bangladesh side. The England-born midfielder has scored four goals in six matches, becoming the heartbeat of the team.

Jamil, however, refused to single out any player.

“We are not thinking about just one player,” he said. “Bangladesh are a good team with many quality footballers. We are not taking them lightly.”

India began the qualifiers as the top-ranked team in Group C, but their early exit has triggered heavy criticism. When asked about the team’s decline, Jamil avoided the topic, keeping his focus firmly on the upcoming match.

“We are only thinking about tomorrow’s game,” he said. “It’s not a friendly. It’s an Asian Cup Qualifier, and we want to win.”

As a former India international, Jamil understands the emotional weight of this rivalry.

“Both teams know what this match means. Everyone is very serious. It’s a high-pressure game, and we must work hard for a positive result,” he said.