Kerala Santosh Trophy football team. Photo: KFAKochi: Rahul V Raj will lead Kerala in the 72nd edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy which kicks off in Kolkata on March 19.
Coach Satheevan Balan has retained the 20-member team which took part in the South Zone qualifiers in Bengaluru.
Ten teams who qualified from the preliminary stages have been divided into two groups of five teams each with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals which are to be played on March 30. The final is slated for April 1.
Kerala have been drawn in Group A alongside defending champions West Bengal, Chandigarh, Manipur and Maharashtra.
Kerala open their campaign against Chandigarh on March 19.
Kerala team: Akhil Soman, V Midhun, M Hajmal (all goalkeepers); S Lijo, Rahul V Raj (captain), Y P Mohammed Shareef, Vibin Thomas, V G Sreerag, K O Jiyad Hassan, Justin George (all defenders); K P Rahul, S Seesan (vice-captain), V S Sreekuttan, M S Jithin, Muhammed Parakkotil, G Jithin, B L Shamnaz (all midfielders); Sajith Poulose, V K Afdal and P C Anurag (all forwards).
Coach: Satheevan Balan.
Group A: West Bengal, Chandigarh, Manipur, Kerala, Maharashtra.
Group B: Goa, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka.
Kerala's matches: vs Chandigarh on March 19; vs Manipur on March 23; vs Maharashtra on March 25; vs West Bengal on March 27.
