"It means a lot to achieve 25 clean sheets": India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

BHUBANESHWAR: Ahead of India's World Cup Qualifier match against Qatar at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, Blue Tigers' goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu hoped to achieve more success with the national football team in the coming years. In an interview with the-aiff.com, Gurpreet said that he was happy to make 25 saves against Kuwait in their previous game of the qualifiers.

"It means a lot to achieve such numbers (25 clean sheets), and they will mean even more if we keep getting success as a team and move forward," Gurpreet said as quoted by ISL's official website.

During India's recent World Cup Qualifier win against Kuwait, Sandhu registered his 25th clean sheet with the 'Blue Tigers'. Gurpreet set a new national record for the most clean sheets by an Indian keeper on the international stage.

The Indian goalkeeper displayed his dominance under the bar after making 11 crucial saves and was instrumental in India which helped India pull off a positive result against Kuwait.

The 31-year-old goalie wore the captain's armband in that match in the absence of Sunil Chhetri. Throughout the entire match, Sandhu was unbeatable with his point-blank range saves and cat-like reflexes.

While talking about the match, he said, "I remember going into that game knowing that there was no pressure on us." "It wasn't just one man but all of us together with one thought - to make it difficult for the opponent, play the long game, stay alive for as long as we can, and who knows, we can get something out of it," he added.

The Bengaluru FC goalkeeper played his first match for the national team in 2011 but became a regular starter for the 'Blue Tigers' in 2015. Following his debut, he has been the first-choice keeper for India and has helped his team win points on plenty of occasions.