Sunil Chhetri has announced his retirement from international football, declaring that the upcoming match against Kuwait will be his final appearance in national colours.
Chhetri shared this news in a video posted on his social media platforms. He stated that the game against Kuwait, part of the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, will mark the end of his international career. The match is scheduled to take place at the Salt Lake Stadium on June 6. Currently, India stands second in Group A with four points, trailing Qatar.
Reflecting on his decision, Chhetri said, “When I decided this would be my last game, I informed my family. My dad was quite calm, feeling relieved and happy. Interestingly, it was my wife who got emotional. I told her, ‘You always said there were too many games and too much pressure. Now I’m telling you that I won’t be playing for my country after this game.’ Even they couldn’t explain why there were tears. It wasn’t because I felt tired or anything specific. When the instinct came that this should be my last game, I thought about it a lot and eventually came to this decision.”
“Will I be sad after this? Of course! Do I feel sad sometimes everyday because of this? Yes!” Sunil Chhetri added in the video. “Do I feel like I’ll miss the train and there’s just 20 days of training? Yes. It took time because the kid inside me never wants to stop given a chance to play for his country.
“I have practically lived the dream. Nothing comes close to playing for the country. So the kid kept fighting. But the mature inside knew it that this was it. It wasn’t easy,” Sunil Chhetri admitted before adding: “Every training that I do with the national team, I’m just going to enjoy it. I don’t feel that pressure. The game demands pressure. Against Kuwait, we need the three points to qualify for the third round. But in a strange way, I don’t feel the pressure.”
“I’ll say something controversial. I don’t think I know any player has received ad more love, affection and adulation from the fans in our country than me. A lot of times people talk about highest scorer, this or that, but the one thing that I think I’ve really got the best of, and I was really pampered is the love and affection I got. It’s time for our country to see the next Number 9,” Sunil Chhetri added.
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