Hockey has a rich history in India. A majority of the 20th century saw the dominance of Indian hockey players in the sport on a global scale. While the brilliance of the attackers like Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh Sr. and Mohammad Shahid ruling the game for ages, many forget one of the most important positions on the team, which is goalkeeping.
Here, we look at the list of the best goalkeepers to have taken the field for India:
PR Sreejesh
The 34-year-old has excelled as a goalkeeper for Indian hockey and recently became the first male Indian athlete to win the World Games Athlete of the Year for 2021. PR Sreejesh made his international debut for the senior national team in 2006. But his shining grace came at the Asian Champions Trophy Final in 2011 where he saved two penalty strokes against Pakistan in what was a match-winning performance. Cut to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Sreejesh led the team to the bronze medal for India, their first in hockey at the Olympics after 41 years.
Adrian D' Souza
Adrian D' Souza made his debut for the national team in 2004 and has accumulated over 100 international caps for India. In 2005, D'Souza captained the Indian team at the Junior Hockey World Cup. In 2007, he was also a part of the bronze-winning squad at the Champions Challenge in Belgium as well as the gold-winning team at the Asia Cup. He was soon replaced by PR Sreejesh but was key to India's successes in the first half of the 21st century. D' Souza played his last international tournament, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2012.
Shankar Laxman
Not many people have heard of this legend, but Shankar Laxman was the wall in front of the goal for the Indian team in the 1950s and 60s. Laxman was a goalkeeper of the Indian hockey team at the 1956 Olympics when the team won gold, in the 1960 Olympics when they secured silver, and again at the 1964 Olympics when the team won a gold medal yet again. Laxman became the first goalkeeper to captain an international hockey team. Under his tutelage, the Indian hockey team won 1966 Asian Games. Laxman has been a recipient of the Arjuna award and the Padma Shri from the Indian government.
Bharat Chhetri
Another player from the current crop of Indian players is Bharat Chhetri. Captain of the Indian squad at the 2012 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, he led the side to the bronze medal, and also captain the team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He has been dropped from the national team in 2004, 2007 and 2009 but has never lost faith in himself.
AB Subbaiah
Born in the Kodagu district of Karnataka, AB Subbaiah is a product of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Bangalore. The former national team goalkeeper and current coach was part of the India squad at the Commonwealth games. He also won the goal medal at the Asian Games in 1998. Between 1988 and 1998, Subbaiah played 285 international matches. He represented and captained the Indian hockey team between the years 1987 and 2007.
