California to Indian Football: Samaleswari SC’s Veer Joshi seeks New Heights after Durand Cup Launchpad | Exclusive

The free-kick was spectacular. The story behind it is even more intriguing. Born in the United States, shaped by football in England and Spain, rooted in Kolkata and inspired by Arsenal legend Santi Cazorla, Veer Joshi has suddenly become one of the most interesting young names to emerge from the Durand Cup.

After his stunning goal for Samaleswari SC in the match against Mohammedan, the youngster has found himself in the thick of things.

In an exclusive interview with MyKhel, the Samaleswari SC player opens up about his journey, his Kolkata connection, his Arsenal obsession, his ambitions and the possibility of one day representing India.

There is something wonderfully cinematic about Veer Joshi’s introduction to Indian football.

A teenager born in the United States arrives in Kolkata, joins a team making its Durand Cup debut and, within days, produces the sort of free-kick that makes people stop scrolling.

Mohammedan SC, one of Indian football’s historic names, stood on the other side. The occasion was significant. The stage was enormous for Samaleswari SC. And Joshi, rather than being overwhelmed by it, bent a free-kick into the net and announced himself.

Suddenly, a name that had been largely unfamiliar to Indian football followers was everywhere.

Yet Joshi does not sound like someone intoxicated by the attention. If anything, there is a striking calmness in the way he speaks about it. The goal matters. The recognition matters. But neither, in his mind, represents the destination. For the 19-year-old, it is simply the first page.

“Some people have an idea of who I am before the Durand Cup. Nobody knew who I really was. So this has helped me so people can get to know me a little bit better.”

The move to Samaleswari

That sentence perhaps captures the footballer better than the free-kick ever could. Because Joshi is not telling the story of a player who has arrived. A phone call from Kolkata changed everything. A few weeks before the Durand Cup began, Joshi was still in the United States. Then came a phone call.

Samaleswari SC’s head coach reached out, explained the club’s project and outlined what the Durand Cup could offer a young footballer looking for an opportunity. It was not a complicated decision, but it was a significant one.

“I had gotten, the head coach had reached out to me and Samaleswari supporting their management. I had a phone call with them.”

The decision brought him into a completely new professional environment. He arrived in the city at the beginning of July, trained with the team for a couple of weeks and waited for his opportunity. When it came, he grabbed it.

The win over Mohammedan SC was not merely three points or a memorable result. For Samaleswari, appearing in the Durand Cup for the first time, it was a statement that they belonged on the stage.

The Beginning

For Joshi, it was a personal introduction. And suddenly, everyone wanted to know where this teenager had come from. Born in America, but football was always home Joshi’s football story began thousands of kilometres away from Kolkata.

At four, he was enrolled by his parents in a local programme called Kids Love Soccer. There was no grand plan at the beginning. No elaborate academy pathway. Just children playing football for the joy of it. But the young Joshi kept wanting more. The game became something much deeper than an after-school activity. Football became the answer whenever someone asked the familiar childhood question: What do you want to be when you grow up?

“From a young age, I’ve just always had a passion,” says Joshi when asked about his ambition.

Engalnd and Spain – The Learnings

There was encouragement at home, particularly from his father, but Joshi is keen to stress that there was never pressure to pursue the sport. The love came naturally. And then football began taking him places. England taught him freedom. Spain taught him discipline as he played for the likes of Southampton and Getafe.

Joshi’s development took him into English and Spanish football, two environments that left distinctly different impressions. England, he found, was physical but comparatively liberating. Players were given room to make decisions and express themselves.

Spain was different. There, the game was more meticulous. Positioning mattered. Movement mattered. Coaches demanded precision.

Joshi experienced both worlds – and rather than choosing one over the other, he absorbed elements from both.

“Two different kind of playing styles and coaching that I’ve experienced… I think it’s helped me become a more adaptive player.”

“I personally enjoyed that a bit of freedom… because I like to see and kind of read what the defenders are giving me.”

The Kolkata Connection

Kolkata is not just where he is playing. It is home. There is another layer to Joshi’s Indian story. He may have been born in the US, but Kolkata has been part of his life for as long as he can remember. His mother is Bengali. His father was born and brought up in Kolkata, with his family roots in Banaras. His grandparents still live in the city. For much of his childhood, summer meant Kolkata.

“Kolkata feels like home for me, not me but my whole family.”

That makes his arrival in Indian football feel less like a foreign footballer discovering India and more like someone returning to a place that has always been part of his story. The weather, however, required considerably more adaptation. Coming from dry California, Kolkata’s humidity was a different opponent altogether. His American friends noticed it immediately in his post-match photographs.

“My friends in California see my post-match images, and they always ask me how I get drenched so much. The humidity is massive here in Kolkata.”

Joshi laughs about it now, but admits it was something he had to adjust to during pre-season.

Samaleswari’s unlikely Durand Cup adventure

For Samaleswari SC, this is unfamiliar territory. The club is playing in the Durand Cup for the first time. Yet rather than approaching the tournament with fear, Joshi says the squad has been driven by an appreciation of the opportunity. The dressing-room message has been simple: not everyone gets to play in a competition of this stature.

So make the opportunity count. The victory over Mohammedan SC gave that belief an enormous boost.

“For us beating Mohammedan in the fashion that we did was a huge motivation for us. It’s like living a dream.”

And then there is India

Perhaps the most intriguing question surrounding Joshi is whether this story could eventually lead to the Indian national team.

The conversation has gained relevance amid discussions around the eligibility of OCI players. Joshi, however, approaches the subject with maturity rather than entitlement.

For most of his life, he never seriously considered playing for India. The reason was straightforward: he understood that holding a US passport meant he did not qualify under the existing framework.

Now, with the possibility of change being discussed, the door may eventually look different. Joshi is not demanding that it open. He is simply prepared to see what happens.

“If they allow OCI players to play that would be great. It would allow me to qualify to get selected. But I would understand whatever decision is taken and respect it.”

The Love for Santi Cazorla

The Spanish magician has been a significant influence on him, so much so that Joshi’s first football shirt number – 19 – was inspired by Cazorla. His admiration is particularly strong for the Spaniard’s technical ability and his extraordinary comfort with both feet.

And then came the free-kick. When Joshi produced his spectacular effort in the Durand Cup, it was impossible not to bring Cazorla into the conversation. But inspiration is not about imitation. Sometimes, it is simply about having a player whose football makes you want to become better.

“Santi Cazorla has always been a big inspiration for me. I can’t say that my quality in free-kicks is anywhere near his. My father and I used to argue what his stronger feet was, he was amazing with both.”

It is perhaps fitting that the young footballer who grew up loving Arsenal should find himself in India making a name through a skill associated with one of the club’s most technically gifted modern players.

Arsenal was written into the family story

The Arsenal connection runs deeper than football. Joshi’s parents moved to England after getting married in Kolkata. His older sister was born there. His father became an Arsenal supporter during the Arsène Wenger era, drawn to the football the club played. The family also lived in North London and Arsenal simply became part of the family.

“I believe it’s just a start.”

That may ultimately prove to be the most important line from the interview because the free-kick against Mohammedan SC has already happened. What remains unknown is how far Veer Joshi can take it. For now, there is a 19-year-old with much more to prove after a solid foundation.

“I have learned to keep my focus on the game. There are things that I need to improve on, and I know I have the work to do to get better in those areas. I believe this is only the start. I’m so excited to become better every single day and every single week.”

He came to Kolkata looking for an opportunity. The Durand Cup gave him one. Now, the real challenge begins.