Pathak waits to step up as India goalie after Sreejesh’s adieu

PR Sreejesh played like there’s no tomorrow. In his final tournament at the Paris Olympics, the India goalkeeper brought out every ounce of energy left in him, every skill he possessed to perform outrageous saves, his last dance earning the Indian men’s hockey team two Olympic medals in a row for the first time in 52 years.

As India celebrates the bronze medal and Sreejesh’s glorious 18-year career, it is time to look ahead, at who will succeed him in the crucial position.

Krishan Bahadur Pathak debuted in 2018 under former chief coach Harendra Singh and was Sreejesh’s deputy ever since Graham Reid took over in 2019. The Australian introduced the switching of keepers every quarter so that the under study too got enough game time, experience, was ready and wasn’t overwhelmed when the time arose to step up. Current chief coach Craig Fulton has continued with that practice.

As a result, Pathak, who has 125 caps, showed maturity and the temperament needed to rise to the challenge in several matches, including in the Asian Games and World Cup. The prodding question though is – will the 27-year-old be able to fill the big shoes of Sreejesh?

“Now is Pathak’s time. He has already shown that he can be on Sreejesh’s level. During the 2023 World Cup it didn’t matter whether we put Pathak or Sreejesh in the goal as both played equally well,” India’s goalkeeping consultant Dennis van de Pol said from Rotterdam.

“I am not at all worried. India’s level won’t go down in the goal. It will stay the same. Now that Pathak will get 100 percent trust of the coaches and the team, maybe he will perform even better. But we will get to know later because he has never been in this position (as No.1).”

A regular in the squad, Pathak took part in all important events India played in the last Olympic cycle. But unlike other tournaments where the squad is of at least 18 players, only 16 get to play in the Olympics.

As a result, Pathak went to both Tokyo and Paris, but only as a standby. And unlike all other teammates, he returned empty-handed as he could only watch his teammates stand on the podium, but not be a part of it.

“I had a good chat with him after the Olympics. It was of course a hard time for him, going to two Olympics and not getting any medal when the team is winning medals,” said the Dutchman, who went home after the Olympics.

“But he also knows now it is his time. He was the only keeper to do 50-50 time on the pitch with a guy like Sreejesh. No other goalkeeper in India has been at that level to compete with Sreejesh. That is really good for his future.”

Now that Pathak will take over as the No.1 goalie, the question is who will be his deputy? Will the team management continue changing keepers every quarter of a match or will they stick to one like most other teams do?

“Luckily, there are loads of guys who have proven themselves. They have Suraj Karkera who is in the squad and plays the Hockey5s tournaments. He will step in as he has already played some games for the national team. We have Pawan Malik who is a talented young goalkeeper with a different style,” said van de Pol, who works with the India team on a project-to-project basis.

While Malik is similar to Sreejesh in his approach as both are athletic with some wild moves that can save matches, Karkera is in the Pathak mould with his controlled and relaxed approach.

“From the U-21 team we will also have Mohit who will be joining in as well. These four goalies will be the guys who will be training in the upcoming months. We will see who takes the second spot, but that is all up to their form. Tournaments are coming up, so I am really curious,” added van de Pol.

With the Olympics over and Sreejesh retired, the first test for Pathak and Co will come at the Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir City, China from September 8 to 17.