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Sandesh Jhingan

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Sandesh Jhingan
Personal information
Date of birth (1993-07-21) 21 July 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Chandigarh, India
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Kerala Blasters
Number 21
Youth career
St Stephen's Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 United Sikkim 23 (2)
2013–2014 Mumbai 11 (0)
2014– Kerala Blasters 76 (0)
2015 → Sporting Goa (loan) 11 (1)
2016 → DSK Shivajians (loan) 7 (0)
2017 → Bengaluru (loan) 11 (1)
International career‡
2014 India U23 6 (0)
2015– India 36 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:25, 26 January 2019 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:30, 10 September 2019 (UTC)

Sandesh Jhingan (born 21 July 1993) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as centre back for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters and the Indian national football team. Known for his physical strength, aerial ability and willingness to put the body on the line, he is considered to be one of the best defenders in Indian football. Jhingan is the most capped player for Kerala Blasters and the has captained India on several occasions.


Club career

2012–14:Early Career

Born in Chandigarh, Jhingan received his football training at the St. Stephen's Academy.[1] While with the academy, Jhingan helped the side reach the South-East Asian finals of the Manchester United Premier Cup. He also represented the Chandigarh state team at the under-19 level, helping them win the B.C. Roy Trophy.[2]

After impressive performances for his state side and academy team, Jhingan received a call-up to attend trials at I-League 2nd Division side United Sikkim in November 2011.[1] The trials were successful for Jhingan and he signed for the club the next month in December. Playing alongside former India internationals, Baichung Bhutia and Renedy Singh, Jhingan helped United Sikkim earn promotion to the I-League after the 2012 season.[1]

Jhingan made his senior professional debut in the I-League on 6 October 2012 in United Sikkim's first match of the season against Salgaocar. Jhingan started the match and lasted the whole ninety minutes and scored the winning goal for United Sikkim as they won 3–2.[3] He then scored his second goal for the club on 18 November 2012 against Sporting Goa. His goal was the only one for United Sikkim as they lost 2–1.[4] Despite United Sikkim suffering from relegation at the end of the season and conceding a league high 63 goals, Jhingan was noticed to be a bright talent from the team.[5] In February 2013 it was reported that Jhingan was receiving interest from Chinese League One clubs and that he would had to China for trials.[6] However, selection into the India national team meant that Jhingan could not attend trials.[1]

After the 2012–13 season, Jhingan signed a contract with IMG–Reliance to eventually be part of the Indian Super League which was to start in 2014.[7] Despite struggling to sign a contract with an I-League club before the ISL began, Jhingan did reject an offer from Dempo. "Dempo is a big club and to receive an offer from them in itself was a big thing for me. There is no doubt that being associated with the club and playing under coach Arthur Papas would have benefitted me as a player. However, I don't regret my decision," Jhingan said in an interview.[7] In November 2013 it was reported that Jhingan had signed with Rangdajied United on loan for the remainder of the season.[8] However, not long after, it was announced that Jhingan had instead signed for Mumbai for the rest of the I-League campaign.[1] He made his debut for the club on 7 December 2013 against Pune. Jhingan started the match and played for the whole match as Mumbai won 2–1.[9]

A few weeks later, on 15 December, Jhingan received a red card for a second yellow offense in a match against Rangdajied United. Despite being ejected, Mumbai still drew the match 1–1.[10]

2014–17:Establishment at Kerala Blasters

On 22 July 2014, a day after his 21st birthday, Jhingan was selected in the second round of the 2014 ISL Inaugural Domestic Draft by the Kerala Blasters.[11] He appeared on the bench for the side in their opening match of the season against NorthEast United.[12] Despite not playing in the first match, Jhingan did start for the Blasters in their second match of the season against Chennaiyin. He started the match and put in a good performance but could not prevent the Kerala Blasters from losing 2–1.[13] From that point Jhingan remained a constant presence for the Kerala Blasters throughout the 2014 season, appearing 14 times for the side. His performance for the Kerala Blasters helped earn Jhingan the "Emerging Player of the League" award.[14]

On 20 December 2014, Jhingan started for the Kerala Blasters in the 2014 Indian Super League Final against Atlético de Kolkata. Despite putting in a valiant performance, Jhingan could not prevent Atlético de Kolkata from taking the title as the Kerala Blasters fell 1–0.[15]

2015

Loan to Sporting Goa

On 8 February 2015, after the 2014 ISL season, Jhingan signed with Sporting Goa on loan for the 2014–15 I-League.[14][16] He made his debut for the club on the same day against Mumbai. He started and played the full match as Sporting and Mumbai drew 0–0.[17]

2015 ISL Season

After the conclusion of the season, Jhingan was retained by the Kerala Blasters for the 2015 season and in the process became the highest paid Indian player in the league, earning more than 10 million.[16] Despite his performances from last season, which also earned Jhingan interest from abroad, he was not able to replicate the same quality in 2015. Despite being partnered at times with former Spanish international Carlos Marchena and former Newcastle United defender Peter Ramage, Jhingan and the Blasters conceded a league worse 27 goals and finished last in the table.[18]

2016

Loan to DSK Shivajians

On 4 March 2016, after the 2015 ISL season, it was announced that Jhingan would join I-League side DSK Shivajians on loan from the Kerala Blasters.[19] He made his debut for the side two days later on 6 March against East Bengal. He started the match and played the full ninety as DSK Shivajians won the match 2–0.[20]

2016 ISL season

Because of his solid performance at the defence and due to immense preesure from fans,Jhingan was once again retained in the draft by the Kerala Blasters for the 2016 season.[21] In the first match of the season, Jhingan was placed at right-back as the center of defense was taken up by Aaron Hughes and Cédric Hengbart. Kerala Blasters lost the match 1–0.[22] The next match saw Jhingan return to his preferred centerback role after Hughes left for FIFA World Cup qualification. The result did not improve as the Kerala Blasters were defeated 1–0 by Atlético de Kolkata.[23] For the rest of the season, after Hughes returned, Jhingan stayed primarily as a right-back, earning praise for his performances for the club there which helped the Blasters reach their second Indian Super League final in three seasons.[24]

2017–present:Icon at Kerala Blasters

Jhingan was already establishing himself into an icon at Kerala Blasters FC.Before the beginning of the 2017–18 ISL season,the club was already in talk with Jhingan for a possible contract extension

Loan to Bengaluru FC

On 12 January 2017, another I-League club, Bengaluru FC, announced the signing of Jhingan on a season long loan deal from the Kerala Blasters.[25] He made his debut for the club six days later in a league match against Mumbai as a 71st-minute substitute for Harmanjot Khabra as Bengaluru won 3–0.[26] Jhingan started his first match on 11 February 2017 against Minerva Punjab in a 1–1 draw.[27]

On 14 March 2017, Jhingan played in his first career club continental match when he started for Bengaluru in an AFC Cup match against fellow Indian side Mohun Bagan. He scored the equalizing goal for Bengaluru, his first for the club, in the 51st minute to tie the score at 1–1 before Sunil Chhetri scored the winner for the club six minutes later as the club achieved a 2–1 victory.[28] He scored his second goal for the club, and only goal in the league, on 22 April 2017 against his former club DSK Shivajians. His 90th-minute goal was the last in a 7–0 rout by Bengaluru.[29]

On 21 May 2017, Jhingan was part of the squad that helped Bengaluru FC win the 2016–17 Federation Cup, beating Mohun Bagan 2–0 in the final as Jhingan won his first top tier piece of silverware.[30]

2017–18 ISL:Assuming Captaincy

On 8 July 2017, it was announced that Jhingan had been retained by the Kerala Blasters for the 2017–18 season after signing a deal that made him the highest earning Indian defender in the Indian Super League.[31] Jhingan was one of three Indian players retained by the Kerala Blasters, the others being C.K. Vineeth and Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, and the deal he signed reportedly kept him at the club until 2020, paying him ₹38 million.[31]

On 16 November 2017, a day before the Kerala Blasters' first match of the season against ATK, Jhingan was announced as the captain of the Blasters for the upcoming season.[32] He proceeded the start the next day against ATK at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with a new partner at centerback, Nemanja Lakić-Pešić. He played the whole match and helped his side keep the clean sheet as the game ended in a 0–0 draw.However the team was not able to perform well and was not able to qualify for the play-offs.Though,Jhingan remained solid at the back and led the team's defense single handedly during most matches. Overall he started in 17 matches during the season and had 6 clean sheets.

In the following 2018–19 ISL,Blasters signed Jhingan's national side defensive partner Anas Edathodika from Jamshedpur FC.However Anas was sidelined in most matches due to injury problems.Also David James was sacked during the mid season which affected team's morale resulted them in conceding lots of goals.But Jhingan was one among the few defenders to get less bookings during the entire season.Even though his performance was not up to the previous season, he once again proved as the best Indian defender in the league.

Jhingan's heriocs in the AFC Asian Cup 2019 for the Indian national team attracted many eyeballs and Al-Gharafa SC one among them interested in signing him.But he rejected all the offers in favour of Blasters and instead signed an another 3-year deal with them which made him to stay at the club for another 3 years.This further increased his love and support among Blaster's fan as he once again stood with the club and fans during difficult.

Just 5 days before the beginning of next season,Jhingan suffered an injury setback as he took the field for India against NorthEast United in a practice match before India's FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Bangladesh on 15 October in Kolkata.He twisted his knee in an off-the-ball incident, causing a rupture in his Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL).Due to this, he was predicted to be sidelined for atleast 6 months. He undergone a successfull surgery on november that year itself. He started training on the field for Blasters in january within 3 months hoping for a possible comeback. However the season was coming to an end and thus he missed the entire season which affected the performance of Blasters seriously.

File:Jhingan tribute.jpg
Manjappada tributing Jhingan by unvieling his tifo during the 21st minute of the match in concern with his injury by calling him "King in the South"

When the 2019–20 season season came to an end, manager Eelco Schattorie stated "The injury to Sandesh Jhingan was a heavy blow. It came barely five days before the season opener and he could not play a single game. The story would have been different if he was available. The team sorely missed his solid presence and fearlessness in the backline."

International

After his triumph for his state team at the B.C. Roy Trophy, Jhingan was called up to the India under-19 side. Injuries however meant that Jhingan could not attend.[33] Jhingan was then called up to the senior India side in February 2013 for their preparatory camp but once again an injury kept him off the team.[2]

Prior to the 2013 SAFF Championship, Jhingan was selected to be part of the India national team.[34] In September 2014, Jhingan was selected into the India under-23 side that would play in the 2014 Asian Games.[35] Jhingan made his international debut at this level in India's opening match against the United Arab Emirates on 15 September 2014. He started the match and gave an own goal as India lost 5–0.[36]

Jhingan at 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

After his performance during the 2014 ISL season, Jhingan made his senior international debut for India against Nepal in the country's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Jhingan started the match and played the full ninety minutes as India won 2–0.[37] Jhingan then scored his first international goal for India on 29 March 2016 against Turkmenistan. His goal was the only one though for India as they fell 2–1.[38] Jhingan then scored his second goal for India on 7 June 2016 against Laos. His 48th-minute goal was one of six as India won 6–1.[39]

Prior to the qualifiers for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Jhingan scored his third international career goal when he scored in the 54th minute in an international friendly against Cambodia on 22 March 2017. His strike was the third for India as they went on to win 3–2.[40] He then scored his fourth goal for India in another international friendly, on 6 June 2017, against Nepal. The goal was the first for India as they won 2–0.[41] Jhingan was then handed the India national team captaincy by head coach Stephen Constantine before their friendly matches against Mauritius and St. Kitts and Nevis in the absence of regular captain Sunil Chhetri.[42] Speaking after the match against Mauritius, in which India won 2–1, Constantine praised Jhingan, saying "Sandesh is a player who should be playing in a bigger league. He is a fighter and leads by example."[42] A couple months later, on 11 November, India secured qualification for the Asian Cup when they defeated Macau 4–1. Jhingan started that match, thus starting in all four of India's qualification matches up till that point, and helped India keep the clean sheet against Macau, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan.[43]

In 2018 Intercontinental Cup ,Jhingan was a wall at the back for the Indian team.The Indian defense led by him got 3 clean sheets out of 4 matches and they won the tournament by defeating Kenya in the final.

He has shown his ability to step up to the plate on multiple occasions.In a friendly match against a stronger Chineese side on 13 October 2018,Jhingan was named as the Captain and the match ended in 0–0. He marshalled the back-line like a leader and ensured that the likes of Wu Lei and Yu Dabao were kept at bay.It was the first time that India were undefeated at the Chinese soil.

The 2019 AFC Asian Cup was the tournament where Jhingan performed at his full potential during his first 5 years with the national side. In the first match of the tournament against Thailand,India defeated them by a score of 4–1.Jhingan's performance during the match was praised by several football pundits.Even though India was defeated by a stonger UAE by 2–0,in the next match they were at the verge of reaching the pre-quarter of the tournament.They only needed a draw against Bahrain in their last group match.India was able to hold them for 90-minute.But an injury time penalty conceded by Pronay Halder costed them the game and they were eliminated from the tournament


9 September was the last time that Jhingan played for India in 2019.In a crucial away match against Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification,India was able end the match in a goalless draw.He suffered an ACL injury later that month in a pre-friendly match and was reported to be sidelined for the next 6 months.He missed all the remaining 4 matches in this period due to this injury.His absence seriously affected the Indian team and they were at the bottom of the table when 5 matches were completed.They even ended up in a draw against a weaker Bangladesh side.Bangladesh assistant coach Stuart Watkiss even said that the absence of Sandesh Jhingan for their Group E Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup was slightly advantageous for them."I mean, obviously the two defenders are very good players. Sandesh is excellent, not only defending but he's a big threat from set pieces," he told the reporters.


Style of Play

A daunting figure at 6 ft 2 in, Sandesh Jhingan is a defender who commands the backline.He is very strong in the air and with his great physical strength he becomes very tough for every opponent.While his presence almost guarantees a clean sheet,Jhingan also induces fear in the opposition with his fierce and aggressive playing style.He doesn't hesitate in putting his body on the line with blocking fierce shots, putting in crunchy challenges or going in for air duels.

Jhingan can also play as right back.He began his career at Kerala Blasters playing at right back position.A threat at set pieces,Sandesh Jhingan makes full use of opportunities that arrive in the opposition's final third.While playing as a full back,Jhingan has provided some crucial assists for Kerala blasters which even helped in their chances of qualifying for the play-offs. Jhingan is also one among the few defenders in ISL to get less bookings.He is rarely sidelined in matches due to suspension.

Personal life

Along with being one of the best footballers in the country, Jhingan is a terrific writer.He is always brimming with ideas and can start writing as soon as he is presented with a paper and pen.Very different from youngsters of his age, Jhingan doesn't fancy the fast life. Instead of spending his free time partying or clubbing, Jhingan would prefer a quiet evening at the beach.He doesn't mind some soothing music and good conversations though.An avid reader,Jhingan is a big fan of Paulo Coelho's inspirational writing.He has a very unique secret desire as well. He wants to know every language in the world so that he can read and write in each one of them. Now that is something we would never expect from a footballer.

Sandesh is a fan-favourite amongst the Kerala fanbase, which also includes the passionate and vociferous Manjappada fan group. Asked one word he would use to describe the iconic Manjappada, Jhingan stated. "Maybe priceless.You really can't describe them in one word. Their love is unconditional, not only for Kerala Blasters but Indian football team as well. They have done a lot to support and uplift Indian football. They have done a lot for me as well, personally. If I had to pick one word, I think it would be family,". Jhingan is an iconic figure among the football fans in Kerala.He once said that Kerala is his second home.He always stood with the club and fans during difficult times and it even gave him the nick name "Leader of the South".

With his long hair and imposing beard, Jhingan is one of the most recognizable players on the pitch.Quizzed about his story behind long hair,he said "I think I wanted to keep long hair from childhood and have even got scolded by my father for it while I was in school. But I always wanted long hair. I love history, and historical movies. The characters in these always had long hair. I think it makes me, me. Legendary defenders like Maldini ,Cannavaro ,Nesta also had long hair. That too inspired me,".


Career statistics

Club

As of 31 March 2020[44]
Club Season League Federation Cup/Super Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
United Sikkim 2012–13 I-League 21 2 2 0 — — 23 2
Mumbai 2013–14 11 0 0 0 — — 11 0
Kerala Blasters 2014 Indian Super League 14 0 — — — — 14 0
2015 10 0 — — — — 10 0
2016 17 0 — — — — 17 0
2017–18 17 0 1 0 — — 18 0
2018–19 18 0 1 0 — — 19 0
2019–20 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
Kerala Blasters Total 76 0 2 0 0 0 78 0
Sporting Goa (loan) 2014–15 I-League 11 1 0 0 — — 11 1
DSK Shivajians (loan) 2015–16 7 0 0 0 — — 7 0
Bengaluru (loan) 2016–17 11 1 5 0 4 1 20 2
Career Total 137 4 9 0 4 1 150 5

International

As of 21 December 2017.[45]
National Team Year Friendlies Qualifiers Competition Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
India 2015 1 0 6 0 — 7 0
2016 1 0 4 2 — 6 2
2017 4 2 5 0 — 9 2
Total 6 2 15 2 0 0 21 4

Honours

Club

United Sikkim
Kerala Blasters FC


Individual

Kerala Blasters FC

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Sandesh Jhingan – Young Star Of Kerala Blasters". Red Bull. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b Lundup, Tashi (6 March 2013). "The Curious Case of Sandesh Jhingan". The Indian Express. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  3. ^ "United Sikkim 3–2 Salgaocar". Soccerway.
  4. ^ "Sporting Goa 2–1 United Sikkim". Soccerway.
  5. ^ "Sandesh Jhingan – Kerala Blasters FC". Goal.com. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  6. ^ Mohan, Srinivasan (7 February 2013). "China calling for United Sikkim's Sandesh Jhingan – report". Goal.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Sandesh Jhingan: I am still optimistic of playing for an I-League club". Goal.com. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  8. ^ Ghoshal, Amoy (11 November 2013). "Rangdajied United to loan Gouramangi, Subrata and three more IMG-R players". SportsKeeda. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Pune 1–2 Mumbai". Soccerway.
  10. ^ "Rangdajied United 1–1 Mumbai". Soccerway.
  11. ^ Ghoshal, Amoy (22 July 2014). "ISL domestic player draft: Mumbai and Kerala pick four India internationals each". SportsKeeda. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  12. ^ "NorthEast United 1–0 Kerala Blasters". Soccerway.
  13. ^ "Chennaiyin 2–1 Kerala Blasters". Soccerway.
  14. ^ a b "ISL Emerging Player of the League, Sandesh Jhingan, joins Sporting Clube de Goa". Indian Super League. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Kerala Blasters 0–1 Atletico de Kolkata". Soccerway.
  16. ^ a b Gupta, Shalini (16 May 2015). "Defender Sandesh Jhingan becomes Indian Super League's first Indian crorepati". The Indian Express. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  17. ^ "Mumbai 0–0 Sporting Goa". Soccerway.
  18. ^ Muralidharan, Ashwin (17 December 2015). "Indian Super League Team Analysis: Kerala Blasters FC". Goal.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Sandesh Jhingan joins DSK Shivajians on-loan from KBFC". Indian Super League. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  20. ^ "DSK Shivajians 2–0 East Bengal". Soccerway.
  21. ^ "ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters FC squad – A comprehensive guide". SportsKeeda. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  22. ^ "NorthEast United 1–0 Kerala Blasters". Soccerway.
  23. ^ "Kerala Blasters 0–1 Atletico de Kolkata". Soccerway.
  24. ^ "Constantine: KBFC look invincible in Kochi". Indian Super League. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  25. ^ Muralidharan, Ashwin (12 January 2017). "I-League 2016/17: Bengaluru FC fortify defence with the capture of Sandesh Jhingan". Goal.com.
  26. ^ "Bengaluru FC 3–0 Mumbai". Soccerway.
  27. ^ "Bengaluru FC 1–1 Minerva Punjab". Soccerway.
  28. ^ "Bengaluru FC 2–1 Mohun Bagan". Soccerway.
  29. ^ "Bengaluru FC 7–0 DSK Shivajians". Soccerway.
  30. ^ "Bengaluru FC wins Fed Cup". The Hindu. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  31. ^ a b Tennyson, Rayson (8 July 2017). "Sandesh Jhingan is India's most expensive defender". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  32. ^ "Sandesh Jhingan captain". Kerala Blasters FC (Twitter).[non-primary source needed]
  33. ^ Rai, Saurabh (26 September 2012). "Bhaichung Is The 'God of Indian Football': Sandesh Jhingan". FeverPitch. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  34. ^ "SAFF Championship 2013: Team Profile – India". Goal.com. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  35. ^ "Nine Hero ISL players in India under-23 Asian Games squad". Indian Super League. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  36. ^ "UAE U23 5–0 India U23". Soccerway.
  37. ^ "India 2–0 Nepal". Soccerway.
  38. ^ "India 1–2 Turkmenistan". Soccerway.
  39. ^ "India 6–1 Laos". Soccerway.
  40. ^ "Cambodia 2–3 India". Soccerway.
  41. ^ "India 2–0 Nepal". Soccerway.
  42. ^ a b Alva, Suraj (20 August 2017). "Sandesh Jhingan should be playing in bigger league, says Stephen Constantine". Asian Age. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  43. ^ "Want to dominate in Asia: Sandesh Jhingan". The Times of India. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  44. ^ Sandesh Jhingan at Soccerway
  45. ^ "Sandesh Jhingan". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  46. ^ a b Chaudhuri, Arunava (15 February 2015). "AIFF Emerging Player of the Year 2014 Sandesh Jhingan: "Let my Coach decide on my position"". SportsKeeda. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
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