For 2022 World Cup qualification, his campaign with India started with a 1–2 home loss to Oman, but steered the team to earn a respectable point after managing a draw against the 2019 Asian Champion and 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar. Despite this, India only managed draws against much lower ranked teams, Bangladesh at home and Afghanistan in away. India went on beaten by Oman and Qatar, as well as gaining only a draw over Afghanistan as well as their only win in the qualification, a 2–0 win against neighbour Bangladesh, to finish in third place with only six points gained, thus not qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, even though it was the highest position India gained since the 2002 qualification that guaranteed India a place in the upcoming 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification.