Less than two months ago, Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri took to Instagram with a lighthearted post: “Nobody told me picnics would be so much fun. I went to my first, and now I want more.” Having bid farewell to international football last June at 39, after an illustrious 19-year career, he was embracing retirement, enjoying life while still playing club football for his beloved Bengaluru FC.
Well, those picnics will have to wait. In an unpredictable turn of events, India head coach Manolo Marquez has called the 40-year-old Chhetri out of retirement for the crucial March FIFA window. India, winless in 2024, face a friendly against the Maldives before a must-win AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh on March 25. India are placed in a group alongside Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore and only the top team advances.
Former India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia didn’t hold back, saying that having to call back India’s highest goalscorer from retirement is “not a good sign for the development of Indian football” and it’s “sad and unfortunate” that India can’t find a replacement for him. “I can understand that there’s huge pressure on Manolo and the federation (AIFF) after the disaster of 2024 where he hasn’t won a single match (out of 4 games in charge), but it’s not really good for the development and progress for Indian football in the long run,” Bhaichung told The Indian Express. “It’s wonderful for Sunil to come back and play for India. But overall, for Indian football’s development, it’s definitely not a good sign. You’re still relying on a 40-year-old who’s retired to come back and bail you out.”
Sunil Chhetri in action. (FILE photo)
There is no doubt that Chhetri has been India’s most prolific scorer, with 94 goals in 151 games, but there’s surely a problem when the country can’t find a replacement for him despite the Indian Super League (ISL) existing for more than a decade now.
India’s struggle to find a reliable center-forward has been painfully obvious since Chhetri hung up his boots. In his absence, the team has looked toothless in attack, managing just three goals in five matches—all without a single victory (2 losses, 3 draws). They stumbled to draws against Mauritius, Vietnam, and Malaysia, while falling short in the Intercontinental Cup final against Syria and suffering a crucial defeat to Qatar in the AFC World Cup qualifiers. The void left by Chhetri isn’t just noticeable—it’s glaring.
Despite the poor run, Bhaichung said these qualifiers were an ideal opportunity to try out the youngsters. “We are not in a very difficult group. I feel he could have easily gambled with young players and qualified. It’s very unfortunate and sad that we can’t find a replacement for Sunil. But that doesn’t mean you again keep relying and keep requesting Sunil to come back,” Bhaichung said. “If you qualify with Sunil leading the way, but then head to the Asian Cup without him, you’re suddenly up against giants like South Korea, Japan, and Australia with raw, untested strikers. I think it becomes a bit unfair, right?”
India have played with eight different strikers since Chhetri’s retirement: Manvir Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Farukh Choudhary, Liston Colaco, Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad and Sahal Abdul Samad. Only two of them – Yadwad (Chennaiyin FC) and Lalrindika (Inter Kashi, I-League) – have regularly played as a center-forward for their respective clubs, while Farukh is the only striker to have scored a goal in the post-Chhetri era.
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Chhetri still in form
For the record, Chhetri’s recall isn’t just sentimental; it’s justified by his good form. The veteran forward leads the Indian goal-scoring charts in the ISL with 12 goals—the second-highest overall. Astonishingly, this is his best-ever tally in the league stage across the ISL’s ten seasons. Sample this: the next best Indian scorers are Brison Fernandes—who’s also received his first national call-up—with 7, who is followed by a full-back, Subhasish Bose, with 6.
So Manolo’s decision is perhaps understandable, but it’s still a short-term solution. Ranjit Bajaj, owner of Minerva Punjab and their academy that has produced a number of national team players over the past decade, says things will only change if the AIFF top brass puts their foot down and implements stricter rules with regards to using foreigners in the ISL.
Sunil Chhetri in action. (FILE photo)
“If the backbone of your team is entirely made up of foreigners, how will Indian players ever grow into those key roles? As a coach, why would you pick an Indian when a better foreign player is available? That’s the real issue,” Bajaj pointed out. “It’s on the federation to step in with stricter rules to ensure our homegrown talent gets a fair shot. Why not limit teams to just one foreign attacker? That way, our young Indian forwards actually get the chance to develop instead of being stuck on the bench.”
Bajaj also raised the issue of Indians not going abroad to play. “Playing in the ISL comes with big paychecks, but there’s a downside—it kills the motivation for players to test themselves abroad, even in other Asian leagues,” he pointed out. “The high salaries exist because demand is huge, but the talent pool is still shallow. Why aren’t top ISL clubs investing in residential academies to develop the next generation?”
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Chhetri’s return might patch things up for now, but it shines a glaring spotlight on India’s deeper footballing crisis. Without a long-term plan, Indian football risks being trapped in an endless loop of dependence with no real progress in sight. Sooner or later, Chhetri will go back to his well-earned picnics, and then, there is no comeback.