'I was very disappointed', Gurpreet Singh Sandhu on his exclusion from Indian Football Team

The 33-year-old was axed from Manolo Marquez’s squad for the games in March.

The Indian football team squad which was released for the March international window had one noticeable absentee in Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The shot-stopper was one of the notable names that was omitted by Indian head coach Manolo Marquez after a string of disappointing performances.

The Blues goalkeeper was under immense fan scrutiny with players like Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, and Phurba Lachenpa staking their claims. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s form also took a massive hit during the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) season. He started with five consecutive clean sheets before ending the season with only two more shutouts.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was upset about the snub

While talking about the national team snub on the ISL’s In The Stands show, the 33-year-old openly shared his perspective about being dropped from the national team. Sandhu was surprised about being dropped by Marquez with his latest omission coming all the way back in 2013.

While talking about the situation, he stated, “I was very disappointed. After some time you just process it and it’s very hard to move on. But then you eventually move on and just look at what you can do to change it.”

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu shared how questions about how he can learn from this situation came to his mind. But he admitted that he quickly shifted his focus and aimed towards showing his form on the field and win games.

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Gurpreet made a cryptic post on Instagram

Following the recent 0-0 draw against Bangladesh in the Group C encounter of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu posted on social media. The post which had a Punjabi caption, translated as ‘There is a difference’, divided Indian football fans on Wednesday.

While some Indian fans believe the post to be a sign of the Blues keeper putting in the work after the snub, others felt it was an indirect dig at Vishal Kaith’s performance in the last game.

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Pressure on Vishal Kaith after recent performance

The Mohun Bagan Super Giant shot-stopper, who was given the nod ahead of Sandhu, has had two contrasting games since his inclusion. While the first game against the Maldives saw a relatively easy night between the sticks for Kaith, the situation was different against the Bengal Tigers.

The 28-year-old had a shaky game against Bangladesh, with a costly error almost costing India within 15 seconds of the opening whistle. Despite an early warning sign, the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper had some real nervy moments where he turned the ball over cheaply and put the Indian defense under constant pressure.

The mixed performances have again put the spotlight back on the position and how it can weigh heavy after a single bad game. While Marquez is expected to stick with Kaith for upcoming games, Sandhu will need to put on better performances. With the Blues set to open their ISL playoffs campaign against Mumbai City FC, Marquez will be keeping a close eye on the 33-year-old shot-stopper.

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