Important to move up the ranking to get better pot for WC Qualifiers: Sandesh Jhingan

Sandesh Jhingan spoke about newly hired psychologist Shayamal Vallabhjee as well.

The Hero Intercontinental Cup is well underway and hosts India have begun the competition with a bang. They started their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Mongolia where Sahal Abdul Samad and Lallianzuala Chhangte sealed the game with two first half goals. And in the second game, Sunil Chhteri scored a lone winner to get India past Vanuatu. 

The Blue Tigers sit at the top of the table and are the only side who haven’t conceded a goal so far in the tournament. And a big credit goes to their backline leader - the omnipresent Sandesh Jhingan.

The Indian international spoke to the media and shared his thoughts regarding the tournament and everything in general about the Indian national team. Here are the excerpts from the conversation.

Leader in defence

Jhingan is India's most experienced defender and is undoubtedly a leader in defence. He is Igor Stimac's most trusted lieutenant and has marked his 50th cap for the Blue Tigers in the last game.

Speaking about his role at the back, Sandesh said, “It’s always good as a defender to keep clean sheets. The more you keep clean sheets, the more satisfied you are with your work. But the credit goes to the team and the coaching staff. It’s a collective effort and in the long run we need to work as a unit. Well done to all, but there’s a long way ahead and by the time the AFC Asian Cup comes, we would be in a better position,”

Low scoring wins

The Blue Tigers have been winning games but all of them have been low scoring victories. When asked his opinion on this, Sandesh said that even if it's a big win or a small one, it all depends on the team's mindset and he is happy as long as the team wins.

“A win always makes you happy. Even if you win 10-0 or 1-0, it depends on your mindset. As an individual, I am happy with the wins. There are positives as well as negatives and I know that we need to improve. It’s a learning process,” he asserted.

Thoughts on Lebanon

India will take the field on Thursday to face off against second-placed Lebanon in their final group stage clash. Opening up about Lebanon, the defender said that Lebanon are a tough team and India need to be focused if they want to win.

“Lebanon is a good team just like all the teams. They have a lot of technical players. They justify their ranking on the table. But, I have said this before as well that even if any opponent is ranked 190, you cannot play well if you’re not focused and you’re very near a defeat,” he quipped.

Better pot for World Cup Qualifiers

If India win their remaining two games, their chances to get a better pot ahead of the World Cup qualifiers will increase. Speaking on the same, Sandesh Jhingan said that it’s important for the team to keep winning and stay on the run in order to improve their FIFA ranking.

“We spoke about this today as well. It is important for us to move up the ranking to get a better pot. Every other country would be looking at it and it’s not just us. We as a team want to keep winning and stay on a good run. Let’s just focus on the field and nothing else,” he said.

Impact of the psychologist 

Sandesh was asked about the impact of psychologist Shayamal Vallabhjee on the team’s performance and how it has helped the players mentally.

“A lot of teams in every sport are trying to find an inch where they can do well and Sports Psychology is a part of it. Our psychologist is good, the boys like him and it’s a slow process, not an overnight thing. We are growing as a team and it’s good,” he signed off.