Opinion: Sunil Chhetri cannot be Sunil Chhetri’s replacement

It came as a shock to the Indian football ecosystem.

Chettri, the greatest footballer India has ever produced, had agreed to return to international football less than a year after his teary-eyed farewell in June 2024.

Chettri, 40, is one of the most astute athletes Indian sports has even seen. True to his nature, his retirement, at the time, was well thought out.

Chettri posted an almost 10-minute long video, bidding adieu to the Indian football team, almost a month before his final match.

He spoke his heart out; recalled his debut, thanked his teammates, friends, and family. This was supposed to be it. The final dance.

Chettri bowed out with 94 international goals against his name.

The return, therefore, was unexpected.

Manolo Marquez, the Indian head coach, revealed he requested Chhetri to reconsider his decision and make his way back to the Indian setup.

“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,” said Marquez.

“He agreed and so we have included him in the squad,” he added.

Chettri, just like his retirement nine months back, would surely have thought his latest move through.

Since his retirement, the Indian men’s football team is yet to win a single match. They have lost two (Qatar, Syria) and drawn three (Mauritius, Vietnam, Malaysia).

India scored only three goals – Lallianzuala Chhangte (against Qatar), Farukh Chaudhary (against Vietnam), and Rahul Bheke (against Malaysia) – in those five matches, highlighting the country’s persistent struggles in front of the net.

In the ongoing 2024-25 Indian Super League season, the 40-year-old Chhetri has been the highest Indian goal scorer. He has found the net 12 times and is the second highest scorer in the league.

In fact, Chhetri is the only Indian to feature amongst the top ten goal scorers in the season.

Brison Fernandes (7 goals) is a distant second, while Subhasish Bose – a defender – is the third highest with six goals.

The likes of Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, Rahim Ali – who were all touted as prospects to take the national team forward, have had an even underwhelming run in the Indian Super League.

The young PV Vishnu and David Lalhansanga have shown promise in the league, but don’t have the required experience. Lalrinzuala Lalbianka has impressed with his goal scoring prowess in the I-League but the national team might be a step too high.

Edmund Lalrindika, another I-League star, did make his India debut last year but hasn't yet settled into the rigours of international football.

Ishan Pandita, dubbed as the next big thing, has struggled to live up to the expectations. Constant injuries contributing to lack of game time hasn’t helped his cause either.

The Indian Super League clubs have traditionally been circumspect in blooding in young Indian forwards. They instead rely on foreign recruits to don that hat, which means quite a lot of upcoming players are never playing constantly.

None of these aforementioned factors can be an excuse though.

Chhetri’s retirement had been long speculated. He had to leave sooner than later. Not because of the lack of skills or form but purely because of the age factor.

The All India Football Federation has repeatedly ignored the warning signs and have now been forced to recall Chhetri as a last-ditch attempt as India tried to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.

Chhetri, by now, should have been in the annals of Indian football history. He probably was, after his retirement. Instead, he is now back in the present.

He could well score a hat-trick each in his next two matches and complete 100 international goals, but will it solve India’s larger problem?

He might well help the team qualify for the AFC Asian Cup, but what after that?

Sunil Chhetri, as much as fans would love to watch him play in the India colours, can’t be Sunil Chhetri’s replacement.

At a time when India should be looking at a long-term solution, the country has taken two steps back with a woeful short-term fix.