Sunil Chhetri made headlines last week with his stunning comeback to the national team, having announced his retirement in June last year. Some fans are elated with the return of the 40-year-old ahead of India’s crucial AFC Asian Cup qualification opener against Bangladesh on March 25, while others are concerned about the future of the national team after the Chhetri era.
India’s head coach Manolo Marquez, who also oversees FC Goa, has stated that Chhetri is currently the best striker in the ISL. Hence, he didn’t need to think twice before making this decision.
“At this moment, even at 40, Sunil is the best striker in India, and there’s no doubt about him,” Marquez stated after FC Goa’s loss to Mohun Bagan in Kolkata. “It’s true that there are other good players, but they are playing as wingers and haven’t scored many goals or played regularly as strikers like Sunil.”
Marquez’s words clearly indicate that he is focusing on immediate success in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. From that perspective, the Spaniard’s decision is valid, given Chhetri’s current form compared to other Indian strikers. However, at the same time, Chhetri, at 40, does not guarantee a long-term future with the national team. It is inevitable that he will again hang up his boots in the near future, and when that happens, India will be left with a void that will be difficult to fill unless the issue is addressed now.
While Mohun Bagan’s former Brazilian forward José Barreto sees the bright side of this decision, former India national team footballer Alvito D’Cunha and Bengal’s recent Santosh Trophy-winning coach Sanjoy Sen think otherwise. They did not hold back in expressing their frustration over Indian football’s dire state, particularly its failure to find a perfect replacement for Chhetri.
Barreto believes that Chhetri’s current form might help the national team while also providing an opportunity for young players in the squad to learn from him.
“I don’t know if it was his decision or if the coach wanted Sunil in the squad,” the Brazilian said with his ever-smiling face at the football session of the recently concluded RevSportz Trailblazers Conclave 3.0. “If you look at this season, Sunil has been proving himself in every game, scoring a lot of important goals, and helping Bengaluru FC finish in the top six. If you look at it differently, I believe he can still contribute. His presence brings a lot to the team, and he will also help the youngsters.”
However, D’Cunha, who played 20 matches for the national team, holds a different view. He believes Chhetri’s return to the national team has taken away an opportunity from young strikers.
“Sunil making a comeback, in my opinion, is not a good decision because it blocks a position for upcoming prospects,” D’Cunha stated at the Trailblazers Conclave. “We have strikers, but we are not giving them opportunities.”
He also drew an example from cricket, citing MS Dhoni’s retirement and how it paved the way for KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant to develop.
“I think MS Dhoni, after his retirement, could have made a comeback to the national team when Indian wicketkeepers were struggling. But he chose to step aside, believing that the younger players needed time. That’s why we are now relishing KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.”
D’Cunha further criticised Marquez for handling both club and national team responsibilities simultaneously.
“Manolo needs to focus more on the national team instead of overseeing both club and country,” D’Cunha remarked, questioning Marquez’s contributions since taking charge last year. “If he had focused solely on the national team, he could have spoken to ISL coaches to ensure that young players get more opportunities in their respective positions. It’s sad that we don’t have a replacement for Sunil Chhetri. We still need to think about the future of Indian football.”
Sen also scrutinised Indian football’s growth over the last decade and pointed to the failure to find Chhetri’s replacement as a glaring issue.
“Sunil may score a goal, but his inclusion clearly shows that Indian football hasn’t improved in the last 10 years,” Sen lamented, emphasising how the presence of foreign strikers is hindering the growth of Indian forwards. “If you look at players like Rahim Ali and Manvir Singh, they are playing on the wings because foreign coaches prefer to fit overseas strikers in the centre-forward role. How can we expect new Indian strikers to emerge under such circumstances?”
The debate continues on whether Chhetri’s inclusion will benefit the national team or further expose the weak pipeline of Indian footballers. But one thing is certain – Chhetri, the scorer of 94 international goals, won’t be around forever to rescue India. That is why the search for his replacement needs to start now.
Marquez has given chances to Irfan Yadwad, Farukh Choudhary, and even played Manvir as a striker in recent games. While none of them have completely filled Chhetri’s shoes, they have shown promise. Since finding a successor to Chhetri is inevitable, it is better to act now rather than wait until it’s too late.
Also Read: Sunil Chhetri Comes Out of Retirement, Set to Play for India in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers