Gurpreet Singh Sandhu owns most clean sheets for India: Stats
The Indian football team showed great character to win 4-2 on penalties against Lebanon in the semifinals of the 2023 SAFF Championship. The teams were 0-0 after 120 minutes of play. It was Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who handed them the boost during the tiebreaker when he kept out Hassan Matouk's attempt. India converted all of their penalties to progress to the finals.
Most clean sheets for India
Gurpreet was exceptional on the night as he made some crucial saves against Lebanon through the 120 minutes of play. Overall, this was his 24th clean sheet for the Indian team, which is the highest by any Indian goal-keeper. Subrata Paul trails him in this regard, having registered 18 clean sheets. While former India custodian Peter Thangaraj had mustered 15 clean sheets.
A look at his journey
Gurpreet made his name at East Bengal as a very talented goal-keeper. He made his India U-19 debut against Iran in the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers. He made his senior team debut in 2011 against Turkmenistan. However, it took him some years to cement his place in the Indian team. Since 2015, he has been India's first-choice goal-keeper and has maintained that spot.
Ninth-most capped Indian footballer
The Lebanon match was Gurpreet's 61st appearance for India. He is the joint ninth-most capped Indian footballer. He and Syed Rahim Nabi are in the ninth spot with 61 appearances. While Sunil Chhetri leads the pack with 141 appearances. Bhaichung Bhutia (82), Climax Lawrence (72), Gourmangi Singh (71) and IM Vijayan (70) form the top five. Among active players, he is only behind Chhetri.
A look at Gurpreet's international trophy cabinet
Gurpreet has been in the Indian setup for 12 years. With time, he has grown in stature. He has bagged three SAFF Championships (2011, 2015 and 2021). He has clinched two Intercontinental Cup titles (2019 and 2023). Gurpreet has won the 2023 Tri-Nation honor and a bronze medal at the 2019 King's Cup. He played a crucial role in India's 2019 Asian Cup qualification.
