India hockey veteran Sardar Singh hung his head in utter disappointment when teammate SV Sunil missed his second attempt in the penalty shootout (sudden death) during the Asian Games semi-final against Malaysia in Jakarta recently. India lost the match and with it a chance to directly qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Yesterday, after he was not named in the 25 probables for the Asian Champions Trophy in Oman, he hung up his stick, deciding he will not don the Indian blue jersey again. He may continue playing domestic hockey though. However, while Indian hockey fans may have mixed reactions about Sardar's international exit, given his inconsistent form in Jakarta, his good friend and former India drag flick ace Sandeep Singh believes Sardar, 32, has made the call at the right time.