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Dev's Digest: Will British Indians represent India national team? Amit Bhatia closes in on Liverpool stake, Yan Dhanda's debut revisited

Welcome to Dev's Digest, a regular Sky Sports column in which Asian Football Award winner Dev Trehan delivers exclusive news and reflects on some of the key developments for British South Asians in Football.

Indian football chiefs are increasingly confident that diaspora footballers from Britain will be allowed to play for the national team, Sky Sports News can exclusively reveal.

Current rules prevent Indian-heritage footballers abroad from playing for the national side unless they surrender their overseas passport.

That has prevented British Indians from earning international recognition and the opportunity to help India break back into the world's top 100 FIFA-ranked nations.

But one senior official has told Sky Sports News he is "convinced" the path will be cleared to allow eligible overseas footballers to represent India.

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After the All India Football Federation set up a task force to assess the status of players of Indian origin who could represent the national team, Arunava Chaudhuri told Sky Sports News’ Dev Trehan he thinks four or five British Indian lads could get into the squad

Reacting exclusively to Sky Sports News, former Mumbai City FC chief operating officer Arunava Chaudhuri said: "We are closer than we've ever been to seeing Overseas Citizens of India representing the Blue Tigers.

"Diaspora footballers from Europe can take the Indian team to another level.

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"We're now talking about something that potentially extends beyond football, with the next Commonwealth Games coming to Ahmedabad, and their bid for the 2036 Olympic Games."

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Watch some of Michael Chopra’s best goals for clubs including Newcastle, Sunderland and Cardiff City

Sky Sports News has followed the story of Indian-origin British footballers trying to play for India for more than a decade.

In 2014, former Newcastle striker Michael Chopra told Sky Sports News he was ready to play for India and that cricket great Sachin Tendulkar was ready to help him fulfil that desire.

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Former Wolves' capain Danny Batth is half-Indian and told Sky Sports News in 2017 that would love to play for India

In 2017, Danny Batth, who has just signed for Millwall and whose father was in born in Punjab, told Sky Sports News senior correspondent Rob Dorsett about his desire to play for India.

West Ham chief Virani targets Premier League return

West Ham interim chief executive officer Karim Virani wants the club to continue driving positive change, but admits the main goal is to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

Sunday 16th August 3:45pm

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The Hammers beat Leeds United in their final game last season, but it wasn't enough to prevent them from finishing 18th and suffering relegation.

"As we look ahead to the new [league] season, it's less than a week now and we have our first match, which has come around incredibly quickly," Virani said.

"The strength of the West Ham family in terms of supporting our team is going to be so crucial to our objectives as a football club - and everyone is aware we have one primary objective this year, which is to get out of the Championship and back to the Premier League.

West Ham CEO Karim Virani in conversation with Sky Sports News' Dev Trehan (Photo: Vijay Bedesha)

Image: West Ham CEO Karim Virani in conversation with Sky Sports News' Dev Trehan (Photo: Vijay Bedesha)

"While it becomes very easy to quickly focus on the football, we should never forget the responsibility we have as a football club to drive positive action and impact off the pitch too.

"Personally I'm incredibly passionate about West Ham being at the forefront of championing equality and celebrating inclusion, and ensuring all of our matches - men's, women's and academy - are environments where everyone feels welcome."

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Kevin Nolan and Darren Moore tell the EFL show why Jarrod Bowen is key for West Ham's hopes for an instant return to the Premier League.

Virani was speaking at a West Ham United and Inclusive Irons event with Desi Ballers to close South Asian Heritage Month.

The event - also attended by club ambassadors Matt Jarvis and Bobby Seagull - shone a light on West Ham's work in the community.

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The 2025/26 British South Asians in Football Team of the Season was also showcased on the night.

Bhatia and Bezos close in on Liverpool stake

Amit Bhatia is closing in on acquiring a stake in Liverpool Football Club

Image: Amit Bhatia is closing in on acquiring a stake in Liverpool Football Club

Sky News understands a consortium led by British Indian entrepreneur Amit Bhatia is closing in on a deal to buy a roughly one-third stake in Liverpool.

Bhatia leads an investor group that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.

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Sky Sports Chief Correspondent Kaveh Solhekol talks through the deal to buy roughly a third stake in Liverpool Football Club by the Amit Bhatia and Jeff Bezos consortium

Their investment in Liverpool will reportedly value the club at £4.4bn ($6bn), making it one of the sport's richest-ever deals.

Sky Sports News has contacted Liverpool and FSG for comment.

Dhanda's dream debut

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Yan Dhanda recalls his Swansea debut in 2018 where he scored 30 seconds after coming on against Sheffield United with his very first touch in professional football.

The EFL kicks off again on Friday, presenting the perfect opportunity to look back at one of my favourite Championship moments, which happened eight years ago on the opening weekend of the season.

We often hear about dream debuts in football, but it's fair to say Yan Dhanda's first appearance for Swansea - and indeed his first taste of senior professional senior football - was exactly the stuff that dreams are made of.

It was a sunny afternoon at Brammall Lane, with the game locked at 1-1 in the closing stages of Graham Potter's first game as Swansea boss, away at Sheffield United.

Nobody, not even Dhanda, could have imagined what would happen next.

"It was crazy. I'd done really well in pre-season. I was only 19 but I was confident. I wanted to play. We got to Sheffield and I knew I was on the bench," Dhanda told me for Sky Sports News in 2018.

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Watch all the angles! Yan Dhanda scored directly from a corner against Hibernian during his time as a Ross County player

"All night I'd been dreaming of coming on and scoring. I was texting my cousin the night before and saying imagine if I come on and score on my debut. It's the dream.

"I went to sleep and kept waking up. It was the first time I've ever been in a pro game. All I could think was coming on and scoring.

"Come the game, I was on the bench for the first time in a professional game. It's the Championship, I'm sitting there thinking this is fast, this is harder than I thought.

Yan Dhanda is now at Hearts

Image: Yan Dhanda is now at Hearts

"It was late in the game when Graham Potter told me I was coming on and I was buzzing - 30 seconds later, the ball fell to me in a good position where I backed myself.

"I just hit it and then it was a mad blur. My dad and cousin were in the stands right behind that goal. It was honestly the best feeling."

Young guns on the move

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Fulham youngster Farhaan Ali Wahid has joined National League side Boreham Wood on loan.

Ali Wahid is set for his first taste of senior football, after 17 goal contributions in 21 PL2 appearances for Fulham last season saw him nominated for PL2 Player of the Season.

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Elsewhere, Riya Mannu has completed her move to West Bromwich Albion Women, while Pakistan international Zahmena Malik has joined Actonians.

Both moves were exclusively revealed by Sky Sports News in last month's edition of Dev's Digest.

Mahmood and Iqbal go head-to-head for major award

Dr Zaf Iqbal and Pakistan international footballer Mariam Mahmood have been shortlisted for Sports Personality of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards.

Dr Zaf left Arsenal at the end of last season after helping the Gunners end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, also reaching their first Champions League final in 20 years.

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He is one of English football's most respected doctors, having worked at Liverpool, Tottenham and Crystal Palace, and previously serving as chair of the Premier League Doctors Group and co-chair of the FA Medical Society.

Dr Zaf played a pivotal role in a breakthrough moment during the 2020/21 season, when Sky Sports News revealed Leicester's Monday Night Football clash with Crystal Palace had been paused mid-game to allow players to open their fast during the holy period of Ramadan in a Premier League first.

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It was agreed pre-match ahead of the 2021 game between Leicester City and Crystal Palace that play would be paused to allow Wesley Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyate to open their Ramadan fast

This has now become a norm, with Sky Sports News exclusively revealing in 2023 that match officials across the leagues had been asked to find a natural pause in play to allow players to open their Ramadan fast during evening matches.

Mariam Mahmood has enjoyed a breakthrough 12 months, making her Pakistan debut last summer and going on to score three goals in her first four international appearances before joining Wrexham.

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Mahmood helped Wrexham win a league and cup double last term and qualify for European competition for the first time in their history.

Meanwhile, nominations for the 2026 Asian Football Awards close next week.

Members of the public can nominate on the Asian Football Awards website across a range of categories including the professional game, non-league, grassroots and coaching.

British South Asians in football

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