15 Years of Sunil Chhetri

15 Years of Sunil Chhetri

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Sunil Chhetri the torchbearer of Indian Football is about to complete 15 years in International football. He has etched his names amongst the legendary footballers of India. The goal-hungry and disciplined Chhetri has led Indian football to new heights. For the 33-year old, age is just a number. The talismanic captain has scored 72 goals in 115 appearances in his International journey. Here, we take a look at Chhetri’s best 15 moments in his career.

1. Debut in the Indian National team vs Pakistan 2005

The place and time where it all started. 15 years of Sunil Chhetri, the first time our captain, leader, legend wore the jersey of India. For any professional athlete, the best moment of his career is when the player gets to play in the colours of the national team for the first time. Sunil Chhetri too, like other players worked hard to achieve that feat. Chhetri made his National team debut in the first team on June 12, 2005, in a friendly against arch-rivals Pakistan. It was a dream come true and he made the moment more cherishable by scoring on his debut. The jubilation was there to see on his face as he ran towards the home supporters in celebration.

2. Plea for support from Indian fans

When it comes to passion for football, Indian fans are not behind. The fans stay awake late at night to watch their favorite European Club play. What about Indian football and supporting the National team? Sunil Chhetri had just scored a hattrick in his 99th appearance at the Hero InterContinental Cup at Mumbai but there were not many fans to cheer for him. The sad state of fan following was witnessed by our captain Sunil Chhetri.

FS Video

He made a plea to the fans to come and support the team. “Abuse us, criticize us, but please come to watch the Indian National team play,” were the words of the captain. The man who works so hard for Indian Football requested the fans for their support. The Twitter video arguably was the moment that changed the direction of fan following in Indian football thereafter.

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3. Sunil Chhetri’s 100th appearance for the Indian National Team

The match after the famous plea. The captain requested and the fans delivered. At first, the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai was sold out. The match was more special as it was Sunil Chhetri’s 100th appearance for the National team. In the final of the InterContinental Cup against Kenya, the captain delivered. His 100th appearance remains one of the greatest nights in Indian Football.

Chhetri scored 2 goals on the night and lifted the trophy in the presence of IM Vijayan and Bhaichung Bhutia. The team gave him a guard of honour and also this time around there were fans present in huge numbers to cheer the national team. Captain, Leader, Legend the crowd echoed.

4. India’s top scorer at the Nehru Cup

The Nehru Cup in 2007 was a special one for multiple reasons. This was Sunil Chhetri’s first international tournament for India. He made his debut for the National team but had to wait for 2 years for his first international tournament. Chhetri made sure that his first tournament was a memorable one as he ended the tournament as India’s top scorer with 4 goals.

Alongside his scoring abilities, he displayed his overall game as he was involved in the build-up of the goal that led India to the title. This also was India’s first-ever Nehru Cup triumph led by Chhetri. He announced his arrival on the International scene and became one of the first names on the team sheets after his display in the tournament.

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5. Inaugural FPAI Awards, 2009

In 2009, the Football Player Association of India (FPAI) announced the creation of four awards for the players. Sunil Chhetri won two of those awards. “Best Indian Player of the Year” and the “Player of the Year.” On the night, fans and players also got to see the other side of Sunil Chhetri as he grooved to Bollywood songs and seemed to enjoy himself.

6. Surpassing Messi to Second highest goalscorer Internationally

On July 7th, 2019 Chhetri created a buzz in the footballing world all over the globe as he surpassed Lionel Messi. With his 4th-minute penalty against Tajikistan in the InterContinental Cup tie, he surpassed Messi second time in a year with 69 goals in the active players’ list and only behind Cristiano Ronaldo who was 88 at the time. Currently, Chhetri is on 72, 2 ahead of Lionel Messi.

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7. Captained India for the first time in 2012

To captain, the national side is a feeling of pride. Every footballer dreams of walking down the tunnel leading the side to the match. Chhetri fulfilled his dream when he was made the captain of the National team for the first time. It started with the AFC Cup Challenge qualification in Malaysia. A leader is one who thinks about the team off the pitch too. His Twitter plea is one example of what he has contributed as a captain to Indian Football. Chhetri will go down as one of the greatest captains of the national side when he hangs up his boots.

8. Most appearances for the National team

On 5th June 2019, Chhetri became the most-capped Indian player with 108 appearances. He surpassed Indian legend Bhaichung Bhutia who had 107. When Chhetri walked out against Curacao in the King’s Cup match, he had surpassed Bhutia’s record. Bhutia congratulated his successor Chhetri and said, “I am very proud of him. He has been a great leader and a player for India. I hope he continues to perform for long. He is a very sincere soul.”

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9. Winning 1-0 against Kyrgyzstan in AFC Asian Cup Qualifier

This match is special for Indian football fans due to multiple reasons. The victory in this match helped India to get into the top 100 of the FIFA rankings. Courtesy of this win, India also qualified for the Asian Cup for the fourth time in the Nation’s history. No surprises as it was none other than Sunil Chhetri who scored in a 1-0 win. The goal was a memorable one and is arguably one of the greatest goals scored by the captain. India relied on the counterattack and in the 69th minute, Chhetri picked up the ball in their half, dribbled past 3 players, played a quick 1-2 with Jeje, and scored a sublime goal.

10. Overtakes Bhaichung Bhutia becoming India’s all-time goal- scorer

On 19th November 2013, Sunil Chhetri broke another record as he surpassed Bhaichung Bhutia to become India’s all-time goalscorer. In the match against Nepal, Chhetri scored in the first half to achieve the feat. Bhaichung Bhutia was present in the stands to watch Chhetri surpass him. The goal was Chhetri’s 43rd overall. Bhutia came after the match to congratulate Sunil Chhetri which displayed the rapport among rapport between the two pillars of Indian football.

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11. The stint at Major League Soccer

Not many Indian players have gone on to go and play abroad. Sunil Chhetri got the chance when he was on trial with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. He formally signed with the team on 24 March 2010 to become the first Indian to play in the MLS. The Wizards coach Peter Vermes described Chhetri saying, “He is a crafty player. Technically he is very sharp, and he is a guy who has good attacking tendencies.” He made his debut in the US Open Cup but was substituted at halftime. He also played in a friendly against Manchester United when he came on as a second-half substitute.

12. Scoring First hattrick in AFC Challenge Cup 2008

One of India’s biggest and most important matches and Sunil Chhetri rose to the occasion. Sunil Chhetri displayed one of his brilliant performances as he scored his first hat trick for the National Team in a 4-1 win against Tajikistan at New Delhi. Chhetri ended the match as the top scorer of the tournament and also received the Man of the Match award. The result meant that India qualified for their first AFC Asian Cup since 1984.

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13. Most expensive Indian player ever

When it comes to brand icons in Indian football, there are not many who can come up on the list. Sunil Chhetri is one of the prominent faces. During the ISL 2015 draft, Mumbai City picked up Sunil Chhetri for a whopping 1.2 crores INR which made him the most expensive Indian ever.

14. The stint at Sporting Lisbon

In 2012, Sporting Lisbon a top Portuguese side signed Sunil Chhetri on a three-year deal. Chhetri then 26, was expected to gain a lot from the move. However, the move did not go as planned as the first team coach did not think Chhetri was capable enough and told him to play in the B team. Chhetri eventually returned after just 9 months. However, Chhetri says he learned a lot from Sporting.

15. Player of the year at the age of 22 and a great season with JCT

In 2005, Chhetri moved to JCT FC after not getting enough opportunities with Mohun Bagan. His first season at JCT was not good either as he scored only two goals. He regained his form the next season, becoming the top Indian goalscorer in the league with 12 goals and 21 in all competitions. Chhetri was rewarded with the League’s Player of the Year award and AIFF’s ‘Player of the Year’ which was a big achievement at the age of 22.

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