New Delhi, Aug. 31 -- It was not too long ago when, during the COVID pandemic, Muhammed Uvais Moyikkal could not find any club that would sign him. However, when a few years of hard work and sheer grit fast-forwarded, the defender from Malappuram, Kerala, finds himself in the senior Indian men's national team, as per the official website of All India Football Association (AIFF).

The last couple of weeks have been a blur for the 27-year-old, who, after being named in the India probables, proceeded to make it to the final squad for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, followed by his inclusion in the starting XI of India's first-ever match in the Central Asian tournament.

Even then, the fact that it was his long throw, just five minutes into his de...