One of the loneliest players on a hockey field is the goalkeeper — body strapped up in thick padding and head enclosed in a helmet throughout. India custodian Sreejesh, 30, is used to this loneliness and has thrived on it, having manned the senior national post for over a decade. However, the World Cup in Odisha (November 28 to December 16) could be his toughest challenge till date. Former India goalkeepers AB Subbaiah and Adrian D'Souza explain why.

"Across the last two years, we had quite a bit of experience in our Indian team, but this time that's not the case. Without V Raghunath, Rupinder [Pal Singh] and Sardar [Singh], the youngsters will be marshalled by skipper Manpreet Singh in the midfield and Sreejesh from the back. Being the goalkeeper and facing up to the world's best teams, Sreejesh already has hands full, so it's good that he has been relieved off the captaincy as that would have been added pressure," Subbaiah, who is also a Hockey India selector, told mid-day from Bangalore yesterday. Sreejesh had led Team India to a bronze medal finish at the Asian Games in Indonesia this year, after which the captaincy was handed to Manpreet for the World Cup.