New Delhi, Nov. 5 -- Graham Reid had shocked the Indian hockey ecosystem four years ago when he had selected a six-match old Shamsher Singh over the much more experienced Akashdeep Singh for the Tokyo Olympics.

The former India chief coach had a lot of faith in the attacking midfielder's skill and speed. And the gamble had paid off as the boy from the border village of Attari in Punjab helped India win an Olympic hockey medal after a gap of 41 years.

Having displayed his usefulness upfront with a knack of creating goals or earning penalty corners (PC), Shamsher became the side's lynchpin, cementing his spot in the Indian team to win medals at every major competition since then including the 2024 Paris Olympics.

But the 28-year-old has ...