Sunil Chhetri starts in first match after return from retirement in India vs Maldives
Sunil Chhetri starts in first match after return from retirement in India vs Maldives
Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri is set to start his first match after coming out of international retirement, in the friendly game between India and Maldives, in Shillong on Wednesday.
Chhetri had hung up his boots for India after a goalless draw with Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers in Kolkata last year.
His return only got sweeter when he found the net through a header in the 77th minute, netting his 95th goal in international football.
India’s head coach Manolo Marquez had previously explained that the team’s need for goals up front forced him to call upon the former captain to reverse his retirement.
“We are in a competition that we need to win and we need to score goals. Be it in open play or through set-pieces. In the four games under me, we have scored two goals and we need to score (more),” explained the Spaniard.
Chhetri has had his best-ever season is the Indian Super League (ISL), having scored 12 goals and assisted two more in 23 matches. The Bengaluru FC is the highest Indian goalscorer.
“If you look at the ISL, then Sunil Chhetri is the top Indian goalscorer, followed by Brison Fernandes and Subhasish Bose. This is the national team and we need players who can play well immediately,” he added.
India, led by Chhetri, won its first match in 489 days, with a 3-0 scoreline at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Polo).
