[WATCH] 'Chhetri Chhetri' chants echo in Salt Lake Stadium as Sunil Chhetri takes the field for one last time in India jersey
As Indian legendary footballer Sunil Chhetri entered the field for one final time in international football against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, he was welcomed with “Chhetri Chhetri” chants with some beautiful tifos.
India are playing against Kuwait in a FIFA World Cup Qualifiers encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in a reverse fixture after initially dominating Kuwait in the two sides' previous clash in November 2023.
A video of ‘Chhetri Chhetri’ chants has been doing rounds across X (formerly Twitter) as Sunil Chhetri and the Indian football team stepped out for the national anthem at the crowded venue in Kolkata.
India’s most decorated footballer Sunil Chhetri has scored 252 goals for his clubs and country, showcasing his brilliant consistency and goal-scoring prowess in his long career, which started way back in 2002.
Having made his international debut against Pakistan in a friendly match in 2005, Sunil Chhetri caught the attention of a lot of Indian football fans by scoring the only goal for his side in that particular encounter, helping the Men in Blue settle for a draw.
In his larger-than-life career, Chhetri created numerous international records, including winning the AIFF Player of the Year for a record seven times. Furthermore, he bagged four international hat-tricks, the most by any Indian footballer.
Notably, Chhetri has netted on 94 instances in 151 international matches, staying just behind Cristiano Ronaldo (128), Ali Daei (108), and Lionel Messi (106) among the most international goal-scorers in international football.
Onus on Sunil Chhetri as India look to secure a place in the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Chhetri would be aiming to finish off his international career on a successful note as Team India are aiming to consolidate their position in the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026.
Placed in Group A, India are currently standing at the second spot with four points while Qatar are leading the table with 12 points. The top two sides at the end of the group stage will move to the third round of the qualifiers.
India would be hoping to consolidate their second rank with an impressive performance against Kuwait.