India’s under-23 team lost 1-2 to Malaysia in the first of two friendlies at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium on Friday.

Saravanan Thirumurugan and Muhammad Arif Zikri found the back of the net for the hosts, scoring in the first half and second half respectively. Sarvanan, who made headlines by scoring four goals against Singapore in the 2023 South Asian Games, maintained his momentum and Zikri extended the lead to two points four minutes after the restart.

Bengaluru FC midfielder Chingambam Shivaard Singh, who had scored for the Blues in the last match before the international break, pulled a goal back in the final quarter, but the visiting team’s second-half momentum eventually fizzled out. The battle ended in Malaysia’s favor. .

The junior and senior Indian men’s national teams have been in action for the past few days, with the Indian men’s national team drawing with Afghanistan in the second round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

The junior team, which was shortlisted by former India international and current U-23 coach Naushad Moosa, held a preparatory camp in New Delhi from March 14 and flew to Kuala Lumpur on March 20.

East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhuskan Gill, who will be his captain, will get a chance to settle the score soon as both teams will face each other at the same venue in three days.