India and Malaysia are set to clash for a record 33rd time in an exciting friendly match on Monday. The encounter marks a significant milestone with the return of Sandesh Jhingan, who makes his comeback to the national team after a 10-month battle with an ACL injury.

The 31-year-old centre-back, who will earn his 64th cap, reflects on his arduous journey and feels grateful to be back “Grateful. I feel pure happiness. Sometimes people use this word very lightly. It's pure happiness and gratitude. I'm motivated. There are a lot of emotions and a lot of work behind getting back in the national team. So yeah, just happy to be here. Pure happiness, I would say.” he said in an interview with the AIFF media team in Hyderabad.

When the national team spends an entire year without one of its most dependable and consistent players of the past decade, the void is deeply felt. Speaking on this absence of 10 months he says “Again, a mix of emotions. Of course, when it happens, you feel sad, you feel upset. Because you let the country down, you let your club down. So that was the initial feeling. Then the fear of the surgery, a little bit of optimism in between, thinking you can just carry on for two or three months more and then play those important games because we were in a very crucial part with the national team and at my club level. So I was trying to push again, to keep going for another two or three months. But it came to a moment where it became too risky. That feeling was there post-surgery when the doubt, the anxiety came. Then you start walking, then you start jogging and then some motivation comes in again. The pain and the swelling come and again the doubts resurface.

He also gives credit to the team who stood by him in his recovery “It was full of mixed emotions but all in all, the whole credit to my comeback, and I'm not just saying it for the sake of it, I'm being very honest. 90 to 95% of the credit goes to the people who were around me at that time. Starting from my teammates on the national team, national team physiotherapist Gigy George, at my club, Russell (Pinto) was there, the doctor who operated on me, the coaching staff of the national team and the club, and my family. They all made it possible and they deserve all the credit. I just did maybe five per cent of it. That's why I say I'm very grateful for the people around me and that's the beauty of humanity, it's the people who make you. And yeah, that was it and I never let it put me down.”

Sandesh Jhingan has faced and overcome several injuries throughout his career, including a broken ankle at 17, an ACL injury during his time with Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL), additional injury challenges during his stint in Croatia, and most recently, another ACL injury. These setbacks have tested his resilience, highlighting the importance of mental strength in dealing with physical hardships. Speaking about his mental health he stressed

“I'll tell you what mental strength is, actually. Just go around your town and walk on the streets. There you will see what real pressure is, what people have to go through to put food on the table. That's real mental strength. What I do, mostly all athletes, have our struggles, but I don't call this mental strength. This is part of the job. If I cry about my situation, of course, it's tough, I'm not taking it away. What I do is just part of my job. Your work is your religion. So I try to do it with full honesty and passion. But I just cannot fathom the idea that we or I have a strong mental strength. I'm just a random guy who's living his dream. Mental strength is the day-to-day life.”

Looking ahead, the team’s primary focus is on qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup for the third consecutive time. Recent matches against quality opponents have been vital in building momentum, and the upcoming game against Malaysia is another crucial step in their preparation.

“First of all, it's good you highlighted the importance of it. At least people now understand the importance of being at the Asian Cup regularly, not only keeping the idea that we want to be at the World Cup, the stage of your ultimate dream. And I've said it before also, 10 years ago when I made my debut, most of us here knew that the ultimate goal is being regulars at the Asian Cup, and we've done it in the last two editions. We are the first team/batch to go to consecutive Asian Cups. So now going in the third one will be another big step for us.” he said

He also highlights the atmosphere in the team and the importance of the India-Malaysia friendly on Monday. With this being only the fourth game under Manalo Marquez, Jhingan also addresses the new style of play the team has adopted. He said

“ The atmosphere in the team is brilliant. And we all know the importance of these friendlies because from now till March we don't play any other international game. So we know we need to get a good result. But the whole point - because we have a new coaching staff, there's a new philosophy, a new system, a new style- is that it takes time to implement. People kind of get bored hearing this word "takes time". But it actually takes time. Everything takes time to develop. If it develops very fast, it's not gonna last long. So, one of the main objectives in this game will be, if you look at the last three games, each game we've improved as a team. So our target is to do one step better, do a much better game than against Vietnam.”

And as the Indian team go back to play in the ISL after the international break he highlights the importance of individual performance strengthening to be ready for the qualifiers in March “And then after this, we'll go back to our clubs but we'll get an idea from here about what we need to be prepared about, individually to be ready for selection and to help the team in March because those are the main games. Get three points, get the clean sheet, give an honest performance and make the country proud. That's the thing.”

With Sandesh Jhingan's inspiring return and the team's collective focus, India aims to build momentum toward a successful AFC Asian Cup qualification. The friendly against Malaysia serves as a critical step in refining their game and strengthening their resolve for future challenges.