Twenty years after he debuted for India, and less than 12 months into his retirement last June, Sunil Chhetri has been summoned to join up with the Indian national team for the March international window.
Head coach Manolo Márquez announced his 26-member squad on Thursday, and it included Chhetri, who will be 40 years, 7 months and 16 days old when India play the Maldives in a friendly on March 19.
Dubbed the Blue Tigers, the team will then proceed to play the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifiers final round against Bangladesh on March 25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. India’s qualification group includes Hong Kong (China), and Singapore for the Asian Cup, where the national team has never progressed past the group stage after losing all their matches in the previous edition.
All India Football Federation’s official social media handle quoted Márquez as saying, “The qualification for the Asian Cup is very crucial for us. Given the importance of the tournament and the matches ahead, I discussed with Sunil Chhetri about making a comeback to strengthen the national team. He agreed, and so we have included him in the squad.”
The news was greeted with some warmth as the talismanic player enjoys legendary status for scoring 94 goals in 150 matches on the international stage. The Arjuna, Khel Ratna and Padma Shri awardee is fourth overall in the all-time international goal scorers’ list, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Iran’s Ali Daei in men’s football.
Chhetri has continued to play for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). However, his last game for the country was against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup Qualifier at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on June 6, 2024.
After starting his professional journey at Mohun Bagan in 2002, Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cups, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023 SAFF Championships. When India qualified for its first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years, he had led the country to victory in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup.
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His first goal came against Pakistan in 2005 and he went past IM Vijayan’s six goals in the 2011 SAFF Championship, netting 7, before becoming the national team’s highest scorer.
Bare cupboard of talent?
The recall, however, split opinion, highlighting India’s desperation in the face of no ready replacements for the goal-poacher.
Chhetri’s inclusion comes at the cost of many young strikers who were staking a claim to step into his shoes. But Marquez chose to turn to the 40-year-old instead of Edmund Lalrindika, Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia and, crucially, David Lalhlansanga.
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India’s 26-member squad for March 2025 FIFA International Window
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Asish rai, boris singh Thangjam, chinglensana singh konsham, hmingthanmawia, mehtab singh, rahul bheke, roshan singh, sandesh jhingan, subhasish bose.
Midfielders: Ashique Kuruniyan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Brandon Fernandes, Brison Fernandes, Jeakson Singh Thunaojam, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Suresh Singh Wangjam.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary, Irfan Yadwad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh.
Lalhlansanga, 23, is one of the few Indians in the ISL who plays as a centre-forward and has been among the goals this season both domestically and in Asia. His exclusion from the squad altogether is bound to raise eyebrows.
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Another notable omission from Márquez’s squad was custodian Gurpreet Singh, with Vishal Kaith, Amrinder Singh or Gurmeet Singh expected to man the goal. Midfielder Brison Fernandes, 23, has been included for the first time.
