Suraj Karkera refers to it as a new beginning. It's a little surprising coming from a hockey goalie who debuted for India in 2017 and is already 28 years old with 50 caps. Just as peculiar? Seven of the 50 caps that have been added during the last seven years have been added this month alone. The disparate statistics suggest that Sreejesh has left his mark on the national men's team's goalkeeping scene. After the Paris Olympics, the seasoned Indian goalie decided to retire from international hockey, giving Karkera the opportunity to finally step up and take over. Alongside Krishan Pathak, he performed as required during India's successful Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) campaign. The two goalkeepers alternated between quarters and never gave up more than one goal in a game.

After returning from China, where he was voted player of the match in India's league stage victory over South Korea, Karkera remarked, "It was like a fresh start for me." "It was a great opportunity for me and the other young guys to play a competition for the team after a long time." The custodian from Mumbai has had few and far between opportunities in his career. Karkera had to wait his turn as he moved from the youth squad to the senior lineup at a time when Sreejesh was the clear favourite in front of goal. Karkera had brief opportunities to compete; he was a member of the Indian squads that won the gold and bronze medals at the Asia Cup in 2017 and 2022, as well as the bronze-winning ACT team in 2021. Nevertheless, throughout those seven years when India won bronze medals at the Olympics in Tokyo and Paris, he continued to be a cog in the core group. Naturally, it is annoying to be left out of the squad. You feel let down, said Karkera. Ultimately, though, I was a member of a team that competed in two Olympic cycles and won several significant medals. Since you workout at the same level and intensity as the 33, you can be certain that you are likewise in the ballpark of that group.

Karkera has never lacked drive in all those years of waiting. "If you're doing well, it reflects in your game and people appreciate it," he said in his post-meal conversations with teammates in the national camps in Bengaluru. He also discovered it in his conversations with his childhood coaches in Mumbai, who include Dronacharya awardee Marzban Patel. He also discovered it from reading several novels and stories about the military's hardships. Karkera picks chosen to read books written by the war hero of 1971, Major General Ian Cardozo. After losing his leg in battle, he went on to lead a battalion. Things like these inspire me. It encourages you to persevere and never give up, said Karkera. As a result of his perseverance, Karkera may now be able to anticipate seeing more playing time at the beginning of the upcoming Olympic cycle. Pathak, his goalie who moved to the city last year, will still be around to provide companionship and competition. "We've been acquainted since 2015." Ever since he moved to Mumbai, we had visited each other's homes. We have a great time together a lot," Karkera remarked. He is an intense rival. Consequently, good competition will exist.