Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper Karanjit Singh had a great day on his Hero Indian Super League debut on Saturday evening as he played his part in a 2-1 win against FC Pune City at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. His effort in the first half when he pulled off a fine fingertip save to deny Dharmaraj Ravanan a goal from a set-piece at point-blank range was nothing short of breath-taking. The 29-year-old, who was also adjudged ISL Emerging Player of the Year, spoke to indiansuperleague.com after the match and expressed his delight at starting his ISL career on a winning note. Here are the excerpts from the interview.

Your first game in the Hero ISL was at home? What was the experience like?

Felt really good. It was my debut today after six games and these three points are vital because we lost the previous game. So I'm doubly pleased to be making my debut and winning the match.

How was the crowd support today?

The crowd is like the 12th player here. Last year, when I wasn't playing I saw it and it was the same. And this year as well we're getting similar support, if not better. I would like to thank the crowd for turning out in large numbers.

You won the ISL Emerging Player of the Match award today. How encouraging is that?

This gives me more confidence especially since it was my first game. I made a couple of good saves which will further enhance my confidence and I would like to say thanks for the award.

How does Marco Materazzi support you?

He's a great coach. He supports everyone. I may not have played in the previous games but he never made me feel like I was an outsider. He always supports everyone in the squad.

Did you feel any added pressure since it was your first game?

You can't take any pressure. It was just about working towards winning three points. It was my debut so I was excited. There was a bit of pressure because it was the first time I was playing in the ISL.