Tendulkar's positivity is contagious, says Sandesh Jhingan

After Kerala Blasters lost the Indian Super League (ISL) final in 2014 to ATK, Jhingan revealed how Tendulkar gave him a pep talk and said he won the World Cup in 2011 after six attempts.

"I was so drained and upset. He came to me and calmly said 'Sandesh, it took me 6 attempts to win the World Cup. You can't lose your heart after losing it in the first go," Jhingan said during a Facebook Live session organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Tendulkar was the co-owner of Kerala Blasters previously, in which Jhingan played for six years before deciding to part ways this year.

"After losing to ATK in the final of the first edition of ISL, we were so heartbroken.

"His (Sachin) positivity is so contagious. When he''s around you, you will feel cheered up, positive. His calmness is something which every one of us must take a lesson from. That's why he''s a legend."

He also lavished praise on the ISL and said it has helped youngsters play with and against their idols and learn from them.

Jhingan also spoke about things he picked up from rubbing shoulders with the likes of Wes Brown and Aaron Hughes during his stint with Kerala.

"I believe ISL deserves the due credit. We shared the dressing room with players whom we looked up during our childhood. They were untouchable when we were kids. That has provided us with the motivational boost."

Jhingan also hailed India's performances against top international teams in recent times. He also gave an insight into the ambitious nature of the youngsters in the national set-up.

"We never realised how good we were until we played against quality opponents. The foreign exposure games left a huge impact on our recent transition. Games against PR China, Qatar, Puerto Rico and mostly the matches in AFC Asian Cup helped us gain the boost in a big way.

"The current batch is very ambitious. Since making debut with Pritam (Kotal) and all in 2015, I have seen this batch throughout."