ISL: Sandesh Jhingan parts ways with Kerala Blasters

Jhingan, who has earned 36 caps for India since making his debut in 2015, and the Blasters mutually agreed to part ways ahead of the upcoming ISL season.

Kochi: National football team defensive lynchpin Sandesh Jhingan on Wednesday left Kerala Blasters after spending six years with the Indian Super League club.

Jhingan, who has earned 36 caps for India since making his debut in 2015, and the Blasters mutually agreed to part ways ahead of the upcoming ISL season, according to club sources.

Sandesh Jhingan

Sources tracking the development indicated that Jhingan has received offers from foreign clubs and is likely to consider going abroad in search of greener pastures. It must be noted that Qatar club Al-Gharafa SC was interested in roping in Jhingan after the 2019 AFC Cup.

"Yes, Sandesh is no longer with the club. It was under mutual agreement," the source told a leading news agency.

Sandesh Jhingan

The 26-year-old Jhingan has been like a rock at the centre of Blasters' defence since the club's inception in 2014, helping them reach the ISL final twice (2014 and 2016).

The Chandigarh-born Jhingan, a hugely popular figure for the Blasters' fans, has made 76 appearances for the club.

Jhingan holds the record for the most caps for Kerala Blasters and had struck a rich deal with the club three years ago which made him the highest-paid Indian defender in the league.

He, however, missed the whole of the 2019-20 ISL season due to an injury. Without Jhingan, the Blasters finished seventh out of 10 teams.

Kerala Blasters have appointed Mohun Bagan's I-League winning coach Kibu Vicuna for the upcoming season.