Bengaluru FC have announced the departures of defenders Pratik Chaudhari and Sarthak Golui from the Indian contingent after their respective contracts with the club expired. The announcement came through a post from Bengaluru FC's social media handles on Monday.

Chaudhari started his career at Air India FC in 2011, before stints with Mohun Bagan, Mumbai FC, and Rangdajied United FC in the I-League. Bengaluru FC was his fifth club in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), with the 32-year-old having turned out for Kerala Blasters FC, then Delhi Dynamos FC, and Jamshedpur FC, apart from the Islanders, in the past.

He made his debut for the Bengaluru FC back in the 2020-21 season. The 32-year-old defender proved his versatility by playing in both wing-back positions and centre-back positions comfortably. He has had an impressive stint with the club so far with a total of 32 appearances, making a staggering 826 passes and 29 interceptions during this time.

“Two years back when I signed for Bengaluru FC it is fair to say was the easiest of decisions for me to make. Little did I realize that parting way would be the most difficult having met some of the best gentlemen. Today, as I say goodbye to The Blues, I would like to thank the club owners, management, coaches, medical & the entire support staff that I've worked with at this wonderful club,” Chaudhari penned down a goodbye note on his Twitter account.

“Being part of this amazing team & going through the ups & downs has been part of the amazing experience & learnings. Having shared the dressing room with some legends & some of the best emerging talents in the country, makes me feel honoured & proud. As I sign off from BFC, I want to thank all the amazing WBB & Blues faithful for your relentless support throughout these 2 years. Sadly, I wasn't able to play in front of you guys during my time at BFC. But y'all will always remain special to me,” the 32-years-old defender further added.

On the other hand, former Mumbai City FC full-back Sarthak Golui was brought on a one-year contract by the Blues last season and also departed. Kolkata-born Golui rose through the ranks with the AIFF Elite Academy and has represented clubs in the I-League and the Indian Super League. The fullback made three appearances for the Bengaluru outfits.

Another one to join the departing band is Iranian midfielder Iman Basafa who signed for the Blues ahead of the Hero ISL 2021-22. While he saw less of the pitch, Basafa played seven games, making several of those appearances from the bench, netting one goal and maintaining a passing accuracy of 82%.

Routing his way to India after making several spells with various Iranian top clubs, the 30-year-old's Hero ISL journey with Bengaluru FC ends after a short stint.