Here is a lowdown on the AFC Asian Cup and what's at stake for Stephen Constantine's men in the qualifying phase of the tournament.
What is the AFC Asian Cup?
India are currently playing in the qualifying tournament for the AFC Asian Cup, scheduled for 2019 in the UAE. The AFC Asian Cup is played every four years and it is the championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Think of it as the Copa America or the European Championship for Asian teams. The winner will participate in the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup, a year ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Twelve teams have qualified and there are 12 places up for grabs. The 2019 tournament has been expanded to 24 teams for the first time, eight more than the previous 16-team format that was in use since 2004. Australia are the defending champions.
Qualified teams (FIFA Rankings): Hosts UAE (68), Iran (33), Korea (40), Japan (51), Australia (55), Saudi Arabia (57), Uzbekistan (63), Qatar (84), China (86), Syria (95), Iraq (122), Thailand (127)
India's record at the Asian Cup
The 2019 Asian Cup will be the 17th edition of the tournament and India have qualified for the big stage three times: In 1964, 1984 and 2011.
The last time India qualified for the tournament was back in 2011, where they went winless in the three group games in Qatar. Sunil Chhetri, who is still in the team, scored two goals in the tournament, where India were paired with Korea, Australia and Bahrain.
India's best performance came in 1964, where they finished runners-up behind Israel. The Chuni Gosmani-led team beat Korea and Hong Kong, but failed to beat Israel, which proved to be the difference. Israel finished top of the group and won the tournament, which didn't have the knockout format back then.
In 1984, India finished last in the group and failed to win a single game.
How can India qualify for the main tournament?
There are six groups of four teams each, and each team will play each other twice - home and away - in the qualifying stages. The top two teams from each group will qualify, thus making it imperative not to drop many points on the road. That and winning their home matches should see India qualify for the finals in UAE.
Who is in India's group?
India are placed in Group A, and the teams in descending order of their FIFA rankings are: Kyrgyzstan (125), India (132), Myanmar (172), Macau (184).
The AFC has labelled India as "highly-fancied" to go through and on the face of it, that should be the case. Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar pose the biggest threat for India. Macau came into the draw replacing Guam - who withdrew for "logistical" reasons - and India will definitely target six points against the lowest ranked team in the group.
Kyrgyzstan's 2016 record reads: 2 wins, 3 loses and 2 draws in 7 games. Myanmar in the same period have played 12 and lost six, winning just three. Macau have won two from their eight games. India's 2016 has been the best among the three: four wins in six games, and Constantine's team has evolved considerably over the last year.
India's fixtures
28th March - Myanmar vs. India
13th June - India vs. Kyrgyzstan
5th September - Macau vs. India
10th October - India vs. Macau
14th November - India vs. Myanmar
27th March 2018 - Kyrgyzstan vs. India