Sunil Chhetri Jersey Number: What is the Indian football captain's jersey number?
Indian legendary football player Sunil Chhetri hung his boots from the international football after the conclusion of the game against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 on June 6, Thursday.
That said, ever wondered what is the former Indian football captain’s jersey number while competing for the Indian senior national team and his current club Bengaluru FC? Well, it is Number 11. Is there any particular reason behind Chhetri choosing this number?
In an exclusive interview with the AIFF in March 2024, Sunil Chhetri stated that No. 11 was the only number available when he started playing club football during his Mohun Bagan days in the 2002-03 season.
“That was the only number available when I started playing club football. When I went to Mohun Bagan, (Jose) Barretto had number 10, Bhaichung Bhai had number 15, and somebody else had nine. The only number available was 11. And I wasn’t too bothered about the jersey number back then. I just wanted to play. Now, yes, I always want the number 11, I like it,” Sunil Chhetri told AIFF.
Importantly, jersey numbers seven, nine, and ten are considered iconic numbers in football. In the current Indian senior men’s national team, Kerala Blasters midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad, who made his international debut in 2019, currently sports the jersey number 10.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant attacker Manvir Singh dons the number nine jersey while the number 7 jersey is worn by the midfielder hailing from Dehradun, Anirudh Thapa.
Sunil Chhetri and his goal-scoring prowess
Notably, Sunil Chhetri has scored 252 goals for his clubs and country, showcasing his amazing consistency and goal-scoring prowess in his two-decade-long career, which started way back in the 2002-03 season with Mohun Bagan club.
Remarkably, Chhetri scored 94 goals in 151 international matches, emerging as the fourth leading goal-scorer in internationals, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo (128), Ali Daei (108), and Lionel Messi (106).
After making his international debut against Pakistan in a friendly match in 2005, Chhetri grabbed the attention of Indian football fans by scoring the only Indian goal in that particular match, propelling the Men in Blue to settle for a draw.