Sunil Chhetri likened the national team setup with his home and expressed his relief at returning to where he belongs
Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal on Wednesday called on the players to "make sacrifices" in view of the financial burden the club will shoulder to participate in the delayed Indian Super League.
Sunil Chhetri and his two Bengaluru FC team-mates -- Rahul Bheke and Roshan Singh Naorem -- on Monday joined the national men's football team's preparatory camp in Bengaluru
Messi is currently at the Mumbai airport and is expected to leave shortly for the final set of engagements, which includes an appearance at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium for a ticketed event.
Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil on Wednesday announced 23 probables for the inconsequential Asian Cup qualifiers match against Bangladesh and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri's name is missing from the list.
India's distressed football players issued a joint statement on Tuesday pleading with the administrators to get the currently paused Indian Super League (ISL) season underway.
The camp is aimed at helping the Blue Tigers prepare for their two 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers final round in Group C, where they will play two back-to-back matches against Singapore on October 9 at the National Stadium and on October 14 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa.
Sunil Chhetri scored twice during the group stage of the Asian Cup in the beginning of last year.
Sunil Chhetri said the players should enjoy the tournament once they have prepared well for it.
Boxing legend M C Mary Kom has apologised to the 'male community' for her comments on a television show, explaining that her outburst was because of suppressing feelings inside her for a long time.
India striker Sunil Chhetri will appear for trials at English club Coventry City. Chhetri, who plays for East Bengal, has been granted a week's leave (from January 25-31) by his club, said an official. 'We have granted him a week's permission with an official letter. We hope he won't miss out on any matches on account of the trials,' the official said.
Chhetri is 38 but still continues to be the spearhead of Indian attack
Punjab FC stun Bengaluru FC 5-4 in penalty shootout to seal maiden Super Cup semi berth
Indian Super League: Jamshedpur FC beat Mohammedan SC 1-0 at home, Bengaluru FC beat Sporting Club Delhi.
Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United FC played a 1-1 draw in their Indian Super League match.
Williams, Bharti join camp, signalling new chapter for Indian football
Indian striker Sunil Chhetri's Major League Soccer debut may not be too far away. His club Kansas City Wizards said on Thursday he will be soon included in the 18-man match-day squad. Chhetri signed for KC Wizards in late March and made his debut for the Kansas-based side in the Lamar Hunt US Open match against Colorado Rapids in April. However, he is yet to debut in MLS, which is halfway through this season.
Sunil Chhetri became the joint second highest international goal scorer among active players along with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi
Sports Minister hears out I-League representatives; urges constructive dialogue
The camp began in Bengaluru on Thursday.
FC Goa players, including India captain Sandesh Jhingan, and support staff have accepted pay cut for the truncated ISL season starting on February 14.
For long stretches, the atmosphere felt less Mumbai and more Camp Nou. Chants of 'Barca... Barca' and 'Suarez... Suarez' echoed through the stands as Messi interacted with youngsters, celebrities and former India football captain Sunil Chhetri.
Fourteen players, including Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, are not immediately joining the preparatory camp for next month's Asian Cup qualifying round matches against Singapore as three clubs have delayed the release of their players, which will be a cause of concern for head coach Khalid Jamil.
Sunil Chhetri returns to the national team,
Chhetri expressed his desire to play the Asian Cup on home soil
Jadeja returned to haunt South Africa with the ball after the Proteas came out to bat for the second time in the match.
Sunil Chhetri said the current state of uncertainty in Indian football is very concerning and the sport's ecosystem is 'worried, hurt, and scared' by the top-tier ISL being put on hold indefinitely.
India fail to qualify for 2027 AFC Asian Cup after 1-2 loss to Singapore
India are placed in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round qualifiers along with Bangladesh, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. The matches will be being played on a home-and-away round-robin format.
Talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri has been left out of the 35 probables named by newly-appointed Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
ISL, I-League clubs to meet Sports Minister after talks with AIFF chief Chaubey fail to end deadlock
Nearly three decades after the ambitious project was first conceived to decongest the existing airport in the financial capital, the greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport became a reality on Thursday as an IndiGo Airbus A320 from Bengaluru landed on the tarmac at 8 am amid a traditional water cannon salute.
Indian football remained in a state of terminal decline after experiencing arguably its darkest phase in a year marked by severe administrative crisis, court hearings, financial issues, absence of domestic leagues, and a steep decline in performance of the senior men's team.
India have slumped to 142 in the FIFA rankings -- their lowest in nearly a decade.
2018-19 ISL champions Bengaluru FC said they had taken the decision "in view of the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Indian Super League season."
Sunil Chhetri was named India's Player of the Year by AIFF president Praful Patel at the Annual General Meeting in Delhi on Friday. India's captain, who won the award in 2007 and 2011, emerged winner after voting by I-League coaches at AIFF's headquarters in Delhi.
Former Manchester United and Mumbai City forward, Uruguay's Diego Forlan and La Liga's managing director for India, Jose Antonio Cachaza discussed ways for India to become a footballing powerhouse. Norma Godinho/Rediff.com sat in as the duo discussed Indian football and the Spanish League's new India tie-up.
Chhetri and Kohli share a special and endearing relationship, bonded by their extraordinary levels of fitness and love for their nation and respective sports.
'I'm looking at it as a chance to play international football, to represent India, and to hopefully inspire other players with a similar background to me, to show them that they can come to India and do the same thing.'
The squad announcement also marks the return of East Bengal's dependable central defender Anwar Ali, who had been sidelined since February due to a hamstring injury. He last featured in competitive action against Bengaluru FC in the ISL.
