| Shankar Sampingiraj | |
| Fullname: | Shankar Sampingiraj[1] |
| Birth Date: | 14 December 1994 |
| Birth Place: | Kolar, Karnataka, India |
| Currentclub: | Bengaluru |
| Position: | Centre-back / Defensive midfielder |
| Years1: | 2010–2011 |
| Clubs1: | HAL |
| Years2: | 2011–2013 |
| Clubs2: | Pailan Arrows |
| Caps2: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2013 |
| Clubs3: | → DSK Shivajians (loan) |
| Caps3: | 6 |
| Goals3: | 1 |
| Years4: | 2013–2016 |
| Clubs4: | Bengaluru |
| Caps4: | 21 |
| Goals4: | 3 |
| Years5: | 2015 |
| Clubs5: | → Kerala Blasters (loan) |
| Caps5: | 3 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2017–2018 |
| Clubs6: | ATK |
| Caps6: | 11 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2018–2019 |
| Clubs7: | Pune City |
| Caps7: | 4 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2019–2020 |
| Clubs8: | Hyderabad |
| Caps8: | 5 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Years9: | 2021 |
| Clubs9: | Chennai City |
| Caps9: | 12 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Years10: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs10: | RoundGlass Punjab |
| Caps10: | 19 |
| Goals10: | 0 |
| Years11: | 2023– |
| Clubs11: | Bengaluru |
| Caps11: | 9 |
| Goals11: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2014–2015 |
| Nationalteam1: | India U23 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 12:43, 25 July 2023 (UTC) |
| Ntupdate: | 08:57, 1 April 2015 (UTC) |
Shankar Sampingiraj (Kannada: ಶಂಕರ್ ಸಂಪಂಗಿರಾಜ್; born 14 December 1994) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender or defensive midfielder for Indian Super League club Bengaluru.
Born in Kolar, Karnataka, Sampingiraj started his professional career with HAL, then of I-League during the 2010–11 season.[1] However, during a match against Pune the very same season, Sampingiraj suffered a ligament tear which was not properly diagnosed by his club, but was noticed and dealt with at the camp for the Indian national youth team,[2] eventually leading to surgery on his right knee and missing substantial game time.[2]
Sampingiraj signed for the Pailan Arrows then of I-League for the 2011-12 I-League season.[1] Shankar was loaned out to DSK Shivajians of the I-League 2nd Division for the 2013 I-League 2nd Division,[3] playing all six of DSK's group stage games, scoring once against Kohima Komets, but couldn't help his team reach the final round.[4]
In July 2013, it was announced that Sampingiraj had signed with new direct-entry I-League side Bengaluru FC.[5] However, the All India Football Federation stopped Sampingiraj from joining the team as they said that he was still contracted with them to play for Pailan Arrows.[6] Then, on 13 December 2013, it was announced than Sampingiraj had eventually signed with Bengaluru FC but on loan from IMG-Reliance for the rest of the season.[7]
Sampingiraj scored his first goal for Bengaluru FC in an AFC Cup game on 24 February 2015, against Maziya of the Maldives in a 2–1 away, in added-time.[8] Shankar scored his first goal in the I-League for Bengaluru on 3 April 2015, heading in a free-kick into the box from Eugeneson Lyngdoh in a 3–3 draw with Royal Wahingdoh.[9] He signed a 3-year contract with Bengaluru at the end of the season; this deal will take keep him with the club until the end of the 2017-18 I-League season.[10]
In July 2015, Sampingiraj was drafted to play for Kerala Blasters FC in the 2015 Indian Super League.[11] On 13 August 2013, Bengaluru, his parent club, confirmed a 3-week training stint for Shankar with Italian 3rd division side Unione Sportiva Cremonese, prior to the 2015 ISL.[12] [13] [14]
In 2020, he moved to Chennai City on a one-year deal.[15]
Sampingiraj made his Indian U23 debut against Uzbekistan U23 on 27 March 2015 in a 2016 AFC U-23 qualifier in the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Bangladesh.[16] Shankar started and was sent-off against Syria U23 in the second match of the qualifiers in a 4-0 loss.[16]
| Club | Season | League | Federation Cup | Durand Cup | AFC | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bengaluru FC | 2013–14 | I-League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | I-League | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16 | I-League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Kerala Blasters (loan) | 2015 | Indian Super League | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Career total | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 3 | |||