What makes Sunil Chhetri an exception in Indian football?

When the final whistle blows on Thursday at what is expected to be a Salt Lake Stadium packed to the rafters, the much-expected boisterous crowd is sure to have moist eyes. The end of India’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait will also bring curtains down on Sunil Chhetri’s 19-year-old international career.

The journey that started in Quetta, Pakistan, will come to its deserved end at the Mecca of Indian football and if India win and reach the third round of World Cup qualifiers - for the first time - there couldn’t be a better end to the ‘SC11’ story. Even if the Blue Tigers fail to achieve ‘Mission 3rd Round’ quest, the national team captain will still bow out with an exceptional career never seen before in Indian football.

An India record 94 goals in a record 150 matches – the numbers and the longevity do full justice to the stature of the mega footballer but for the Delhi lad, hard work, persistence, hunger and love for fitness are what laid the foundation to the top - and kept him there for this long.

Eager from the start and fighting for a chance

The signs of a fighter were evident pretty early. During his school days he applied for a transfer certificate without informing his parents. His only motive was to join a school with a successful football team.

“I am a very proud student from the Army Public School. But we could never make it to the biggest stages of the school tournament. We were either out at the group stages or the quarter-finals because some of the bigger schools were always dominant,” Sunil said in an interview with Indian Super League.

“Without consulting my parents or anyone, I applied for a transfer certificate from my school. It was a rebellious, stupid decision which I probably don’t regret now. I joined Mamta Modern School just so that I could play in bigger tournaments."

The journey that began at Mamta Modern School soon took him to City Club, a local football side in Delhi, from where he got scouted for Indian football giants Mohun Bagan before moving to JCT in 2005 – the same year he made his senior India debut.

Even in the India camp, Chhetri, who was naive and diminutive, impressed everyone with the amount of punch that he packed.

“We shared the national team dressing room for so many years, till 2013. That madness he (Chhetri) has, always ready to do anything to play for India and the hunger that he has is a good example for the youngsters and it was this madness and hunger that allowed him to play international football for so many years,” former India captain Gouramangi Singh recalled during a conversation with Firstpost .

How hungry was he? Hungry enough to turn a training routine into a competitive battle.

“We all know this now that he is very nippy and has a knack for finding spaces. I was a defender and he is a striker so in the early days when we practiced in small spaces, he was so competitive and always wanted to get the ball. He was also very good at meeting the aerial balls but he used to get very serious during the training. He was always very competitive and that also pushed us to do much better,” the former Manipuri defender said.

Thank you Luka 💙

We will do everything in our power to make our country and our captain proud 🇮🇳 @lukamodric10 @chetrisunil11 @IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/eHPyPfnToi

— Igor Štimac (@stimac_igor) June 5, 2024

A friend in need, an inspiration

That he constantly pushed himself to improve his game, also helped others to lift their standards. It’s a simple principle – you start giving more when more is demanded of you.

Darren Caldeira, director of football at Bengaluru FC, shared the dressing room with Chhetri for three years and saw how closely the 39-year-old inspired his teammates.

“He’s someone who sets an example. If you’re giving eight on 10, which is good for anybody else, he will ask to give 9 on 10. He commands that, he wants that from every single player. When you’re around him, you want to be better. You want to be a better player. It’s very strange because you don’t see that with a lot of players but with him,” Caldeira explained.

“It’s always like you want to push yourself, you want to learn from him, off the pitch, on the pitch.”

The thing about Chhetri commanding so much respect is that he has never shied away from helping his friends besides being an inspiration to the young crop.

“A lot of people also don’t know this, he’s one of the nicest people as well. Someone who’s always open to helping. And I’m not saying just helping on the pitch but otherwise as well,” Caldeira shared.

“He takes probably time to open up to anybody and everyone, but once he’s there and he’s comfortable with you, he’s always joking around. He’s someone who will put an arm around you and speak to you.

“He has helped a lot of professionals. He’s made everyone realise what it is to be a professional footballer as well. And I know a lot of the young players look up to him and want to have a 15-20-year career because of him. He has shown that it’s possible to do it in Indian football. It’s possible if you take care of yourself physically and of course, work hard on the pitch as well.”

Presence of mind and hunger to score goals

One of the things that allowed Chhetri to stay at the top for so long is his dedication to his body. In many ways, the body is his temple. From turning vegan to only eating grilled food, giving up on sweets, and spending hours in the gym and later in recovery sessions is a daily routine for him.

“He’s a proper foodie. He loves fried stuff, junk food, and all of that. So it makes it all the more difficult to stay away from it. But he has done that for years now. His dedication towards the sport is such that he knows that even probably a bite of something that’s not really needed will make a small difference,” Caldeira said.

“He stays away from all of that. Even when it comes to sweets and desserts.

“Not only food. He does everything needed to take care of his body. He trains regularly, goes to the gym regularly, and gives a lot of importance to taking rest and recovery. Watching him train is a special thing in itself.”

And then there’s of course his innate talent of always looking for the goal. Despite his physical limitations, Chhetri with his smartness has outwitted several top-class defenders over the years.

“You have to be an opportunist, you have to be a go-getter and need to be in the right place at the right time to score these many goals. Chhetri has all of these qualities,” the legendary India striker Shabbir Ali told Firstpost.

“He worked so hard for so many years but his smartness on the pitch also helped him to succeed. As they say in Kolkata, teen kathi ke beech main ball marne ka (hit the ball in between the three sticks). The striker has to read the ball from the start. When it’s going to the winger, coming in from midfield and getting into the right position. Chhetri has proved himself again and again.”

Chhetri a mega brand

But even more important than his on-field impact and influence on peers is Chhetri’s help in keeping the Indian football flag flying high. Even in the darkest days, Chhetri was the beacon of hope, the one recognisable name and the reference point for everything Indian football.

“You speak about Indian football to anybody in the country and one name they know is Sunil Chhetri, right? For everything that he’s done for this country, he’s that face, that brand that people talk about,” footballer-turned-administrator Caldeira pointed out.

And maybe that will be the biggest loss when Chhetri walks away from the Indian team. The game always replaces a player but Chhetri is not just another footballer, he is also a mentor, an idol, and the face of Indian football.