Defender Thomas Cherian will lead India in their bid to qualify for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup for the first time, as they face Mongolia in their Group G opener here on Wednesday.

India reached Vientiane on Monday evening, and after a night’s rest, coach Ranjan Chaudhuri convened the squad to announce Cherian as the captain.

The top teams from each group, along with the five best second-placed teams from 10 groups will qualify for the tournament proper.

“We have a great responsibility from our nation, and we’ve prepared well for it. The mindset of the boys is extremely good, and we just have to do our job with a positive mindset,” said the young Indian defender.

Coach Chaudhuri said they have been preparing for three months and it’s time for the real action and start well.

“We’ve been preparing well for the last three months, and the boys are ready for the challenge,” said Chaudhuri.

“Of course, our aim is to qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup for the first time, which will set a great precedent for our boys.

“Not only will it be a good experience for them all, but it will also put India on the Asian stage at this age group level,” he said.

“The first match of any tournament is crucial, and we must ensure that we get three points from it. That would set the tone for us,” said Chaudhuri. “Mongolia are a very good side, and we have to be at our best, but we will try to maintain our focus and remain positive.”

For Mongolia, who arrived in Laos a couple of days before India, it is a matter of acclimatising in time to play on natural turf.

Mongolia head coach Anar Batchuluun said, “We thought the weather conditions would be the biggest factor for us, but we have been pleasantly surprised by it. The only thing we have to adjust to is the natural turf on which we will play, as all the turfs back home are artificial.

“They (India) are a very strong team, but we will try our best. We have done our research on all the teams, and we will play accordingly,” he added.

India’s next challengers will be Iran (September 27), and hosts Laos (September 29) at the Lao National Stadium KM16.