Before final bow, Sunil Chhetri battles pent-up emotion

Kolkata: There is pent-up emotion ahead of his final bow, but India stalwart Sunil Chhetri refuses to bask in the moment's call. He reminded everyone of the sole purpose of the affair instead.

He sat for India's pre-match press conference before a packed house for one final time ahead of India's all-important FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait. He shot away every question about his feelings about donning the national colour for the last time with spontaneous and tongue-in-cheek answers.

India face Kuwait at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) popularly known as Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, on Thursday.

In his final bow in an international career spanning 19 years, Chhetri stands a chance to make history. If India get better of Kuwait in their penultimate Group A match, then there is a strong chance they will progress to the final round of World Cup qualification for the first time.

The top two nations from nine groups of four teams will advance to the final stage of the qualifying cycle.

India are currently occupying the second spot behind Qatar (12 points) in the group with four points from as many games. The Blue Tigers are ahead of Afghanistan on goal difference and Kuwait, who have three points.

A victory in Kolkata will put India firmly ahead of Afghanistan, who face Qatar in a tough fixture, also on Thursday.

Farewell and feeling

Before such an important clash, Chhetri, now aged 39, reminded everyone present at the press conference hall of the hollowed arena that this match is 'not about me and my last game, it is about us and Kuwait'.

"I am trying hard not to think about this game like this (as my last)," Chhetri said suggesting that he craves to play the match just like another outing.

He pleaded with the journalists not to stir his emotion by asking him about his retirement 'again and again'

"We are here only and only to speak about Kuwait and India and I am trying hard to not think about this game like this," smirked Chhetri.

"I again request... it is not about me and my last game, it is about us and Kuwait," he stressed.

Chhetri, however, conceded, "Inside me, I am fighting a small battle, I request everyone not to ask me about what I feel about playing tomorrow's match again and again. My full focus is on the match."

Chhetri is one of India's all-time greats. In 150 outings, he scored 94 goals, making him the third-highest scorer among the active footballers. Only legendary Lionel Messi (106) and Cristiano Ronaldo (128) have scored more than the Indian star. He won the Indian Player of the Year award seven times and was conferred with the Padma Shri award, the country's fourth-highest civilian award, becoming only the sixth male footballer to attain the feat.

The achievement deserves appreciation, and Kuwait's Portugese coach Rui Bento chipped in. "He (Chhetri) is a top player for Indian football. All the best to him for his retirement game. Maybe in the future, we will find more players like Chhetri."

To decipher what legacy Chhetri will leave behind for Indian youngsters to follow, one needs to look into India's performance before and after his arrival.

Before Chhetri's debut in 2005 against Pakistan, India last played at the Asian Cup in 1984. After his debut, India played in the continental championship three times in 2011, 2019 and 2023 respectively.

'If I score, I would be happy'

Before his last lap in the international arena, Chhetri said, "We need to win this game. Once we win this game, it gives us a great chance to go to the third round, which we have never done."

"In the dressing room, there is no atmosphere of sadness. The match is not about me or my retirement, it is about us and Kuwait, a very important one. If I could score a goal, I would be very happy like I did when I scored for India in the past," remarked Chhetri.

Asked if he would reconsider his retirement plan, Chhetri smiled and said, "No, 'sir'. I am not someone whose decision is influenced by emotion. I have thought about retirement hard and for a prolonged period, and after that, I came to conclusion. It has been 19...and this is it. I hope India qualify and I will be there wherever the team go to watch their matches from the stands and encourage them."

Who would be India's next No. 9? Chhetri answers

As Chhetri is set to hang his boots, there is the obvious question of who will fill his big shoes.

India head coach Igor Stimac dodged the question saying, "You do not need to ask me, if India win against Kuwait tomorrow, that we should, you will get to see his replacements in the first match of the final round. Moments and situations make players responsible, when Sunil will not be here, the players will become serious about filling his absence. The position is up for grabs, it is also the responsibility of the players from the reserve bench to take it up."

Chhetri, however, had a rather straightforward answer, "There is Rahim Ali, Manvir Singh, Siva (Sivasakthi Narayanan), and Parthib (Gogoi) to take up the No. 9 role. There is no waiting period, they are already there in the mix and would do well for India."

"I see Rahim staring at my eyes and asking, 'pakka aap wapas nahin aaoge na...' (You are not coming back right). They know the door is now open. There are so many who can do well and they cannot wait they just want 'ek baar apne bol diya dobara mat ana galti se ab' (once you have announced it do not come back my mistake)," he said.

No to coaching

Chhetri, meanwhile, ruled out any possibility of throwing his hat into coaching after retirement.

"I will never come into coaching, I have been seeing this man (referring to Stimac) for the last six years, and I do not want to get into that hectic life again. I have had enough in the last 19 years. After seeing him, I can feel how difficult the life of a coach is. It is a very tough life. I do not want that 5:30 am life again, just want to relax," stated Chhetri.

"I am too selfish and I want to think about only myself. I do not want to think about anything else, my game and stuff," he added.

But, at the moment, more than anything else, Chhetri strives for a perfect farewell, taking the team to the final stage of the World Cup qualifiers which would be his moment in the sun.

In their previous outing in November, in Kuwait City, India beat Kuwait with Manvir scoring. Another win on Thursday will put India on the edge of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Americas.