The way to victory is written in the stars - so the Indians got an astrologer to do the coach's work

Match preparation is essential to get the desired result. Physical recovery, warm-ups, tactical briefings, scouting of the opposition, looking at data, analysing horoscopes... Wait, what was that?!

As the Indian national team prepared for their crucial Asian Cup qualifying clash with Afghanistan, the team's head coach, former Croatian international Igor Stimac, sent out a text to Bhupesh Sharma, the contact given to him by his employers, the All India Football Federation. The message read: "Hi dear friend, you can check charts for each player from the list for 11 June. Kick-off time is at 20.30."

Mr Sharma is an astrologer from Delhi, the nation's capital - who is used to football coaches seeking advice regarding team selection, the prospects for winning etc. The astrologer provided remarks on each player's name, including comments like "Good," "needs to avoid overconfidence," "a below-average day," "a very good day but might get too aggressive," and "not recommended for the day."

Just an hour before the 11 June kick-off in Kolkata, when the Indian team's lineup for the match was announced, it was obvious two well-established players whose stars were deemed unfavourable by the astrologer did not make the starting XI.

According to a report from The Indian Express, Stimac and Sharma spoke several times - and not just for the Afghanistan decider. Around 100 messages reveal that before every game, the two men spoke about team selection. Sharing crucial team information with an external individual carries the potential risk of it being misused. This situation brings to light potential ethical and integrity issues within the team management.

It was later revealed that then-AIFF general secretary Kushal Das introduced Stimac to Sharma because numerous movie stars and businessmen in the country admire the astrologer. Stimac claims he only accepted Sharma's role because his bosses wouldn't pay for an additional assistant coach who would improve the team. So, he settled to seek advice in the stars.

For what it's worth - India beat Afghanistan by scoring an added-time winner and qualified for the Asian Cup.