WATCH: Sunil Chhetri scores a goal on return from international retirement in India vs Maldives

WATCH: Sunil Chhetri scores a goal on return from international retirement in India vs Maldives

Sunil Chhetri proved age is a number as he scored on his return from international retirement in the international friendly between India and Maldives, in Shillong on Wednesday.

It was 95th goal in international football for the forward, who struck from open play for the first time since October 2023, heading in Liston Colaco’s cross in the 76th minute.

Chhetri, 40, had called it quits with the national team after nearly two decades, playing his final game under the former head coach Igor Stimac.

Manolo Marquez, who replaced the Croatian, explained that the team’s need for goals up front forced him to call upon the former India 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).

Published on Mar 19, 2025