19 years. 94 goal, innumerable accolades and an umatched passion, Sunil Chhetri has been synonymous to the Indian Football Team
Former India cricket captain Virat Kohli sent a special greeting to Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri, who announced his retirement from international football after a spectacular 19-year career. On June 6, the 39-year-old will play his final game, the FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Kuwait in Kolkata.
Virat Kohli wishes Chhetri as he calls curtains on his illustrious international career
“My brother ❤️. PROUD.” wrote Virat Kohli under Sunil Chhetri’s heartfelt video announcing his retirement. Kohli was in fact one of the first sportspersons to wish the Indian legend.
The 39-year-old striker made his international debut against Pakistan on June 12, 2005, and scored his first goal for India in the match. 19 years later, Chhetri ranks third among active players in terms of international goals (94 in 150), trailing only Argentine icon Lionel Messi (106 in 180 matches) and Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo (128 in 205 matches).
Chhetri’s illustrious career saw him win the AIFF Player of the Year award six times, in addition to the Arjuna Award in 2011 and the Padma Shri in 2019 along with the Khel Ratna.
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Virat Kohli’s unique, heartwarming bond with Sunil Chhetri
Kohli has a wonderful connection with Sunil Chhetri. The two most sought-after figures in India, Kohli and Chhetri have for years bonded over their established unrivalled fitness standards and their passion for the country and their sport. The 35-year-old often invites him to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) training sessions.
.In a 2023 interview, Sunil Chhetri opened on his unique friendship with Virat Kohli.
“We share a lot of laughter. We share a lot of jokes and a lot of funny stuff. I have had a lot of deep and meaningful chats. It’s not like we talk 24×7 every day. There are phases when we don’t talk for months but the best part is that he understands and so do I. But, we catch up exactly from where we left it.” said Chettri.
“The few times when I have felt the heat of who I am and the need to perform and the few times that he has felt the heat of who he is and the need to perform, is exactly when we have chatted. He understands that not everyone can understand what we are going through and it just hits the right note.” he concluded.
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