By the end of India’s second-round FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on Thursday night, Sunil Chhetri had covered every single blade of grass at the Salt Lake stadium. Not for the first time, but for the last. In his 151st and final appearance in the India blue, Chhetri huffed and puffed but could not find the cutting edge, as India and Kuwait drew a stalemate in front of almost 60,000 people. In the end, it did not matter. Ninety minutes of frustration could hardly wipe out of 19 years of stellar, relentless football. As the curtain came down on the career of arguably India’s greatest footballer, My Kolkata’s Eyewitness was there to soak in an evening that left thousands in tears, including the man at the centre of the story.
Salt Lake stadium had entertained Lionel Messi and his Argentine team in 2011. It routinely hosts the most historic fixture in Indian club football. But the frenzy ahead of Chhetri’s farewell was different — anticipation mixed with anguish. The kind of night everyone was thrilled to be a part of, but the kind of night nobody wanted to end. Kuwait, of course, had other plans, not content to roll over to give the third-highest active goalscorer (behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi) in men’s international football a parting party. Putting in a defensive shift reminiscent of Italian teams of yore, Kuwait reduced Chhetri to a series of what-might-have-beens.
Less than two months short of his 40th birthday, Chhetri was pressing defenders like a debutant
Chhetri left nothing in the tank, showing remarkable acceleration in going from defence to attack PTI
The emotions on the night, as high as the expectations, were on full display at every Indian corner. But set-piece opportunities were few and far between. India struggled to create openings from open play as well, with Chhetri half-a-yard late to second balls inside the penalty box. Given the nature of the occasion, Indian fans, most of them with Chhetri’s name and number on their backs, were in high spirits throughout. But the sounds of “Chhetri Chhetri” mellowed somewhat after the 70th minute, as the crowd became increasingly agitated with India’s wasteful possession.
While moments of decisive quality on the ball eluded Chhetri, he did not leave anything in the tank when it came to covering ground. His acceleration from defending the far post during a Kuwait corner to streaming forward to join the counter-attack in a matter of seconds would have made an Aston Martin proud. Less than two months short of his 40th birthday, Chhetri was pressing defenders like a debutant, knowing fully well that his legs would not have to put in such effort ever again. In the second half, he was more involved with the ball at his feet, having switched to a deeper number 10 role, although with nothing meaningful to show for it. Not one to die wondering, Chhetri even lashed out at his teammates at one point, reprimanding them for a casual approach and for not creating more overlaps on India’s left flank.
Chhetri stood still for a while, letting it all sink in
A young fan captures the action Debrup Chaudhuri
With the game failing to acquire momentum, the stands provided most of the intrigue. “Gurpeet (Singh Sandhu) will have to score at this rate, ” yelled one of the fans close to me. While he could not win the match at the other end, Sandhu kept India in the game with some effective saves in the second half. An adorable young fan, waving the Tricolour and recording sections of the match on his parents’ phone, often caught my attention in between attacks. He might have been surprised to see me wearing a different shade of blue — a sign of the incorrigible Chelsea fan in me.
It has become standard practice for icons making their final bow to leave the field a few minutes early to enjoy a standing ovation. But given what was at stake in this contest, Igor Stimac did not even think about bringing Chhetri off. India survived a penalty scare, which would almost certainly have been overturned had there been provision for VAR. Kuwait players then resorted to game management, hitting the turf after being tackled by the non-existent breeze. Seven minutes were added on at the end of the 90, but they failed to produce a memorable ending to a glorious career. Chhetri and India drew a blank at the end of proceedings, meaning India have to get a result away in Qatar to have any hopes of staying in contention for the World Cup.
Chhetri waves the fans and international football goodbye PTI
As the final whistle blew, every single soul inside Salt Lake stadium stood up and began an applause that seemed like it would ever end. Not that anyone wanted it to. Chhetri stood still for a while, letting it all sink in. Then, joining his hands, he thanked all those who had turned up for the man who always turned up for his country. During his lap of honour across the stadium, people leaned and stretched and bent, all in an attempt to catch a final glimpse of Chhetri, who was portrayed as carrying India on his shoulders in one of the giant tifos in the stands. “Stay well, stay happy” was Chhetri’s enduring message as he inevitably struggled to keep his feelings in check after taking the mic. Understated but never under-appreciated, Chhetri left the stadium with India wishing there was extra time in this fairytale of a career that gave Indian football many of its proudest moments this century.
