Midfielder Nijo Gilbert will lead former champion Kerala in the 77th Santosh Trophy National football championship. Ten players will be making their Santosh Trophy debut.
Kerala is in Group ‘A’ and plays its first phase matches at Vasco da Gama in Goa, with its opener against Gujarat on October 11. Goa, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir are the other teams in the group.
Kerala, a seven-time champion, has not had the best of preparations this time around.