India men’s football team scripted history by clinching the bronze medal at the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 in Tajikistan. Among the standout performers for the Blue Tigers was their star goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who produced a decisive save in the shootout against Oman to secure a memorable victory in the third-place match.
The win was made even more special by the fact that India played without their leader and experienced defender, Sandesh Jhingan, who suffered a fractured cheekbone during the group-stage clash against Iran. Despite his absence, the team delivered a strong performance, making newly appointed coach Khalid Jamil’s first assignment a successful one.
Speaking exclusively to RevSportz, Gurpreet reflected on Jhingan’s injury and admitted feeling responsible for the incident.
“Honestly, I was the culprit when he got hurt,” Gurpreet said, referring to Sandesh’s recent jaw injury. “He bent down and raised his arm, but the ball was in my hand. We now have this new eight-second rule where I need to release the ball within eight seconds, and I didn’t realise he was injured. He was trying to tell me to kick the ball out or something like that. He needed attention, but I didn’t realise it. I saw it in the video later, and I think Sandesh played on because I didn’t give him the chance to check his injury.”
Despite the injury, Jhingan continued to play and earned high praise from his teammate. Gurpreet highlighted how the defender always leads by example. Jhingan has since undergone successful surgery.
“But there’s no doubt Sandesh has played through worse injuries, and I’m very, very thankful and grateful that it wasn’t more serious. He managed to play all the minutes and stood there like a wall. It’s good that he’s recovering well because he’s very important for us and is always a leader – the person who sets the example in the team,” he added.
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