But the fleet-footed winger, who has a goal conversion rate of 21 per cent, hints that “off-season might not exist in football.”

“I took a couple of days off, and I got right back into the grind,” informs Udanta. “When you’re not playing competitive football, it is always fun to have a game with your friends and family. It gives you an aspect of the game wherein you can enjoy with your loved ones,” he adds.

But that is not it. He believes that work is also to be done. “It really depends what you want to do in the off-season. You can relax, or you can put the work in and get ready for the next season. I prefer the latter.”

Probably the secret to Udanta’s lightning pace down the flanks could be the work he puts in the off-season. But with the Indian National Team’s next assignment coming up in the King’s Cup in Thailand, Udanta believes that the team would benefit from the AFC Asian Cup campaign and keep the momentum going.

“In the AFC Asian Cup, we showed what we are capable of. We were unlucky not to progress through to the next round. But our win over Thailand was a statement of our abilities as a young team.”

India play Curacao in their opening match of the Kings’ Cup on June 5, 2019, in Buriram, Thailand.

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