Sunil Chhetri: ‘I don’t know when will be my last game for India’

One of the daily challenges facing Marcellus’ fund managers and salespeople is that the vast majority of wealthy, highly educated Indians have no idea about who the CEOs of India’s biggest compounding machines are. If you ask 100 Indians who the CEOs of Asian Paints, HDFC Bank, Titan or Bajaj Finance are, you will be lucky to find 1 person who knows the names of the CEOs of these firms. In contrast, if you ask the same 100 Indians who the CEOs of, say, Apple, Tesla, Microsoft and Meta are, at least 10 Indians will be able to give you the correct answers.

This deracination of the Indian mind plays its part how we neglect our greatest sporting heroes. Most Indians will know that amongst active footballers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two biggest goalscorers in international football. What most Indians don’t know is:

“With 92 goals to his name in 140 international appearances, Sunil Chhetri is currently the third highest goal-scorer among active players in international matches, only behind Portuguese ace Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of Argentina. Chhetri is the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the overall list.”

As this Indian legend enters the autumn of his career, it is about time we celebrate his remarkable achievements:
“Sunil Chhetri is regarded as one of the best football players India has ever produced. In a career spanning over two decades, the centre-forward has won many individual as well as team accolades.

The Secunderabad-born footballer, who made his debut for Mohun Bagan in 2002, went on to play for USA’s Major League Soccer team Kansas City Wizards in 2010 as well as for the reserve team of the Sporting CP in the Portuguese football league back in 2012.

The seven-time AIFF Player of the Year winner, has also represented major Indian clubs like East Bengal (2008-2009), Dempo (2009-2010), ISL sides Mumbai City FC (2015-2016) and Bengaluru FC. It’s with the Bengaluru-based club that Chhetri won major club trophies – I-League (2014 and 2016), ISL (2019), Super Cup (2018). He also led Bengaluru FC to the AFC Cup final in 2016.

While wearing the Indian jersey, Chhetri helped India win the Nehru Cup (2007, 2009, 2012) as well as the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship (2011, 2015, 2021). He also played a part in India’s 2008 AFC Challenge Cup win, which helped them qualify for the first AFC Asian Cup (2011) in 27 years.”

As the Indian Express noted last week:
“Chhetri is 38 but still continues to be the spearhead of Indian attack, evidenced by the five goals he netted in the ongoing SAFF Championship from three matches.

“I don’t know when my last game for the country is going to be. It derives from the fact that I have never had long-term targets, I think about next match, next 10 days. It (retirement) may come at a day when probably I don’t want to, as there are a lot of things, and I will be done. Till that time, I never think about it,” Chhetri said…”