Against Bangladesh in the SAFF Championship opener, Stimac made five changes from the team which beat Nepal in a friendly tie in September..
Igor Stimac took charge of the Indian team as their head coach in May 2019, replacing Stephen Constantine at the helm of affairs.
The very first tournament India played under Stimac's tutelage was the King's Cup 2019 held in Thailand. The Blue Tigers began their campaign with a 3-1 lost to Curacao but defeated Thailand 1-0 to finish third in the competition.
A month after the King's Cup, India hosted the Intercontinental Cup 2019 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where they finished last among four teams.