Sunil Chhetri likened the national team setup with his home and expressed his relief at returning to where he belongs
Sunil Chhetri, playing in his 121st international in the SAFF Championship, struck in the 27th minute to place himself just a goal shy of legendary Brazillian Pele (77 goals from 92 matches).
Sunil Chhetri became the joint second highest international goal scorer among active players along with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi
Talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri struck twice to lead a beleaguered India to a 3-1 win over hosts Maldives in their final league match and enter the title clasg of the SAFF Championships in Male on Wednesday.
India football captain Sunil Chhetri believes that the country's budding soccer players should get a chance to train in European academies in order to improve their skills. The man with 72 international goals described his stint with Sporting Lisbon as a 'great experience'.
From doing double training sessions and reading books, to watching renowned broadcaster and historian Sir David Attenborough's documentary 'A Life On Our Planet', the 36-year-old has been one busy man through the last three weeks of the team's quarantine in Goa.
'After one week, I was told by the head coach of Sporting Lisbon 'you are not good enough, get lost to B team'
Sunil Chhetri, who will complete 15 years in international football on June 12, is India's highest goal-scorer with 72 strikes from 115 matches. He is the second highest goal-scorer in international football in the world among active players behind Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine maestro Lionel Messi.
Sunil Chhetri scored in the 57th and 90th minutes of his 200th game for the club
This was Bengaluru FC's fourth defeat from 15 matches, leaving them with 27 points in second place, while Mohammedan SC remain in 12th spot with 10 points.
Punjab FC ended their seven-game winless streak in the Indian Super League (ISL) with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Bengaluru FC.
Sunil Chhetri said the players should enjoy the tournament once they have prepared well for it.
Mumbai City FC secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Indian Super League, thanks to a second-half offensive surge.
Seven-time champions India were held to a goalless draw by 205th ranked Sri Lanka despite a dominant display in their second SAFF Championships match, in Male, on Thursday.
Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri on Monday tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya, daughter of Mohun Bagan legend Subrata Bhattacharya, at a grand wedding ceremony in Kolkata on Monday.
Captain Sunil Chhetri scored a brace as Bengaluru FC continued their supremacy over FC Goa with a 2-1 win in an engrossing Indian Super League encounter, in Bengaluru, on Friday. The result sees Bengaluru rise to the second spot with 19 points from 11 games, just two shy of FC Goa, who continue to top the table.
Sunil Chhetri, who holds the national record of most international matches and most number of goals, made it clear that retirement plans are currently not on his mind.
Indian football head coach Igor Stimac hailed Sunil Chhetri, saying the talismanic captain was one of those who "glorified" Indian football with his dedication in the 15 years of his illustrious career. The 35-year-old Chhetri on Friday became only the second Indian after legendary Bhaichung Bhutia to complete 15 years in Indian jersey.
Sunil Chhetri scored twice during the group stage of the Asian Cup in the beginning of last year.
Odisha ended their four-match losing streak.
Till the time I play sport, I'll train like a maniac, the Indian cricket captain tells national football skipper Sunil Chhetri in an Instagram Live chat, credits trainer Shanker Basu for his physical transformation.
On Saturday, Chhetri posted a hilarious tweet and revealed that a fan asked him for his Netflix ID and password to pass the time during this lockdown phase. The 35-year-old footballer in a witty manner said he was really thinking to consider the demand since the user had his priorities sorted.
'If we are in the first 10, you are giving yourself a realistic chance to play against the best in Asia and then you always have the answer to how much you have to achieve more'
The India football captain said others players in the side are very much capable of outperforming him.
The Islanders thus finish the league season at the sixth spot with 36 points, whereas the Gerard Zaragoza-coached side end their league campaign with 38 points.
Chhetri is currently the highest goal-scoring active Asian player with 64 strikes from 101 matches and third in the world after superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Olympic medallists Manu Bhaker and Mirabai Chanu have joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to combat obesity, emphasizing the importance of healthy lifestyle choices.
Talismanic Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri, on Tuesday, rated Lionel Messi as the greatest player of all time but did not include Argentina among his favourite four teams to lift the World Cup in Russia.
Inter Kashi knock Bengaluru FC out of Kalinga Super Cup with penalty shoot-out win
Sunil Chhetri said he would like to be remembered as 'the luckiest and most hardworking national team player'.
'...there's a feeling of being indebted to the sport, to my team, that I get to do this.'
Delhi Capitals will be aiming to claim the top spot, while UP Warriorz will be desperate to register their first victory of the season when the two sides face off in the Women's Premier League in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Jamshedpur FC now have 34 points, while FC Goa tally 33.
The 51-year-old Stimac, who was part of Croatia's 1998 World Cup squad that finished third in France, was Wednesday officially announced as head coach of the Indian team. He comes with an experience of over 18 years in coaching, structuring, and developing football with players back home and internationally.
MBSG have added the ISL trophy to their League Winners' Shield they had won earlier in the season for a ISL double.
Head coach Igor Stimac believes it could be a game-changer for Indian football as India take on Kuwait in a crucial World Cup qualifier.
To say Sunil Chhetri and Lionel Messi in the same breath is more than a little odd, is what the talismanic Indian striker himself felt once or twice.
Talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri scored in his milestone appearance but India lost 1-3 to higher-ranked Curacao in their opening match of the King's Cup football tournament in Igor Stimac's first game in charge, in Burirasm, Thailand, on Wednesday.
A double strike from Sunil Chhetri and another fine finish from Miku set up an impressive 3-0 win for Bengaluru FC against FC Pune City in the Indian Super League football match, in Pune, on Monday.
The Mission Olympic Cell is also considering higher incentives for retired Olympians and world-class players who want to take up coaching, in an effort to retain top talent within India.
