Som Kumar's First Senior India Call-Up: A Landmark Moment

ND Slovan goalkeeper Som Kumar has been handed his first senior India call-up, a landmark moment for the young shot-stopper who has quietly been building his career in the Slovenian second tier.

He will leave for Bangalore on September 14 to link up with the initial training camp, stepping into a dressing room preparing for one of the most glamorous international windows in Indian football history. He is also unique in that squad: the only overseas-based player selected from outside the Indian domestic system.

“Congratulations, Som! We are proud of you and wish you great success in the national team shirt!”

ND Slovan did not hide their delight. In an official statement, the club hailed the selection as “a great recognition for him and a special source of pride for ND Slovan,” noting that their keeper will be part of an international cycle in which India face “two giants of world football, Brazil and Uruguay.”

This call-up has been four years in the making. Since 2020, Kumar has been carving out a European pathway, moving through the youth ranks of Bravo, Krka, and Olimpija Ljubljana. The progression was steady, not flashy. From academy prospect to senior professional, he earned a contract with Radomlje and then a move to ND Slovan, where he has already racked up 17 competitive appearances.

Those games in Slovenia now carry extra weight. They have helped launch him onto the senior international stage and turned his European stint into a reference point for Indian youngsters dreaming of breaking through abroad. For Indian football, his rise is more than a personal success story; it is a tangible example of a different route to the top.

Upcoming Schedule

The schedule he walks into is brutal, and that is exactly the point.

• India open their run of friendlies against Panama in Bengaluru on September 26.
• Then comes the headline act: Brazil in Kolkata on October 3, a blockbuster that will test every inch of the Blue Tigers’ defensive resolve.
• Three days later, at the same venue, Uruguay arrive with another wave of South American firepower.

For a goalkeeper, there are few tougher proving grounds. For Som Kumar, there may be no better one.