India, Nov. 17 -- With an Olympic bronze medal hanging from his neck, PR Sreejesh retired on a high as a player after the 2024 Paris Games. Now in his second innings as head coach of the India U-21 team, the former goalkeeper wants to touch fresh heights, this time at the Junior World Cup.

It's been more than a year since the 37-year-old took charge of India colts, guiding them to the 2024 Junior Asia Cup gold and 2025 Sultan of Johor Cup silver, but the Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu from November 28 to December 10 will be Sreejesh's true test as a tactician.

It won't be an easy outing despite playing at home. For starters, the field has been expanded from 16 to 24 teams, meaning there will be many unknown entities lurking with potenti...