Sunil Chhetri was relishing his daddy time with baby Dhruv in JW Marriott Kolkata’s infinity pool when t2 dropped by for a special chat on a breezy Sunday afternoon. Life seemed to have come a full circle. There was sublime tranquillity as he held on to Dhruv in a caring embrace, just like he had held the Indian football team for nearly two decades, fuelling it with his relentless passion. A journey that pretty much began in Calcutta. A journey that would culminate in Calcutta on June 6 at the Salt Lake stadium. Chhetri’s last match for the Blue Tigers. A win in the 2026 World Cup Qualifying game against Kuwait would be historic, as it might land India a foot in the door to Round III of the Fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, ‘a first-ever’, a perfect endnote to Chhetri’s illustrious career.
As we sat down to chat, his eyes both twinkled and glistened. The emotions, though inexplicable, Chettri tried to articulate and we, to fathom.
What is your state of mind right now?
I think as I speak right now, I am at peace. The part where I was deciding was difficult, but after I reached the conclusion, I am at peace. I have been very fortunate to have a career for the national team that has lasted 19 years. I am not sure whether I am going to feel the same after the match is over and I know that I can never play for the country again, but as I speak, right now, I am at peace.
Has it sunk in?
A small part of it will always bother me because as I said, the kid inside me never wants to stop playing for the country. If you get a chance to play for your country, you’d never want to stop too, but it’s a very small battle and I will take care of it. Nineteen years have been glorious. I am trying my best to think about all the good things, the blessings and the privileges that I have had for the last 19 years. Also, the good part is, we are training for a very important game. So, that keeps my mind occupied. So, I don’t have enough spare time to think about this and that. Thank God, I have got a great bunch of people who surround me and keep me stable, grounded and sane.
How difficult was it to make the decision?
It was difficult. It’s one of those things that I won’t be able to explain in words... what playing for the national team is like for every kid and because I got it and I was doing it for the last 19 years, even though at the back of your mind you know that it would be one of the last games that you are going to play, but you never want to think about it. It was difficult for that one month after I decided this is it.
When did you decide?
It wasn’t a moment. It started with an instinct. I’d never had this feeling before and that’s why I had to pay that much heed and attention to that feeling. I have been so oblivious to my age that I have never thought, why should I? I have always been like this. You might smell a little bit of arrogance there because when you are 39...
It’s passion...
Thank you so much. When that feeling came, I said to myself let me think about it... I didn’t know why I felt it, so I ran backwards and started thinking that now that I had felt it and it was a very strong one, why I was feeling it and what should I do about it? What are the permutations and combinations? I did not involve anyone and after I came to the conclusion is when I told my family, about how many years I have played, about my role and where our Indian national team is, at what juncture, what will happen once we win, hopefully, against Kuwait, and even if we don’t win, there will be a next era that’s going to start and that’s going to take time. In both circumstances, I knew that my country would need some time and I think the next generation is ready.
I am 39 and it’s not about physical (fitness). I take a lot of pride in being fit, running and taking care of it has never been an issue for me, but just spending more time with the family, now that my wife and I have been blessed with a boy (Dhruv, nine months)... I think all these culminated into my decision, but the footballing reason was the most important reason and the instinct that I had to stop was the most important reason.
My family had mixed feelings, but they understood where I was coming from. My wife (Sonam Bhattacherjee), mum and dad knew it first. They knew it first and they have known me long enough to know it’s not a whim.
A small part of me will probably always regret it, that may be one more game, one more camp, one more year, but by and large, I am at peace.
Was it this year?
Yeah, three months back, after the Afghanistan game. There was a period when there weren’t many games, so I could sit and think. It wasn’t because I was feeling tired or of what people thought.... I know exactly what I am doing.
Did you try to fight that feeling?
A small part of me did and still does. I want to believe that I am quite strong, but there were days that became really tough and I would give myself a day and then would start from where I had left off.
When you have played for 19 years, you always think khelna hi hai aapne, you have to go to the camp... that small fight was there and it is a little bit less acute now, but it’ll always be there and hopefully with time, the fight will become a lesser of a hassle for me and I’d happily move on.
What I have realised is that for an athlete it’s never easy because we do not know anything else and when you cap the national team duty on it, it’s just an immense privilege and is something that a lot of players never dream of... it’s half my life and I do not know anything else. When there’ll be a national team announcement for the next camp and my name won’t be there, I am not sure how I am going to react, but I try to look at a silver lining that I had a great career. I was among those fortunate ones who could sustain. Not many players can. In the world, there are very few players who have played 150 games for their country and it’s an absolute honour. You shouldn’t feel anything else but gratitude.
What a lot of us try to do is, we try not to get swayed by what people are thinking. That was the reason why I didn’t speak to my family first... I don’t want people’s opinions because they will never know.... I am pretty sure that there are people who thought I should have retired two years back and I am sure there are fans who will think I shouldn’t have retired now. I respect that but it’s just the feeling. They will not know the ground reality....
It is not easy. Thierry Henry once said an athlete dies... I think that’s scary, but this is life. It had to happen and it was my call when it should happen and it should happen when I am at peace. Till the time I could perform for my country and give it my best, which I did. There can be 100 criticisms of me, but no one can say that I didn’t give my best for my country.
The only thing I want right now is these three days to go well and for everyone to be fit and we to just have one of the best games of our lives. It’ll be amazing.
We are in Calcutta. If not Calcutta, where? It is one of the best places and I am pretty sure we’ll have a jam-packed stadium. It’s a big game. We’ve got to win to go to the last round, which we have never been to. It’s an amazing climax.
Did you make it more challenging for yourself by choosing the Kuwait match as the last frontier?
I don’t think like that. Every game that I have played, that pressure is always there. I am looking at it in a positive manner because I think I have distanced myself a little bit from the results. I have lived a lot under pressure. Not complaining. Maybe because I am a little older than the others, I feel it a little bit more, because probably I am asked more... maybe more is expected from me. This game, because it’s my last, I don’t feel anything. It’ll be what it’ll be. I just want to go out with a bang and where else than Calcutta?
Everyone is saying your retirement will leave a void. What will be your coping mechanism to deal with the personal void, June 7 onwards?
I don’t know how I’ll react, but I know one thing, that I am ready for it. Is it going to be pleasant? No. I know that. My family knows that. They know how I feel about football. So, they are prepared. I am sure people are individually preparing how they are going to behave, but I have promised them that I am in it and I will fight it out. When you have an amazing team around you, you’ll be fine.
As far as the team is concerned, there are so many players who will collectively take the mantle. My team right now is so stable and ready that it was also one of the reasons why I could come to this conclusion that I have to move on. I trust the team. There are lots of candidates as far as the No. 9 position is concerned... all the senior boys understand what it’s like to be a national team player and all of them have great culture and they would pass it on to the young ones. That’s one of the best things that has happened in the last 10 years of the national team, that now we have created a culture where we know that this is how you have to behave as a national team boy.... Slowly and steadily, we’ll just be better.
Are you planning to take some time off?
So, after June 6, a lot of crying, hopefully because we have won, and after June 7, I am just going to take a break. I’ll be with family and friends.
I am going to play at least a year more with my club (Bengaluru FC). Just because you have finished, you are not dying. I think July 7-8, we get back to preseason. I need that. Suddenly if there is nothing and I don’t train, I am going to be a mess. I am really looking forward to it. I don’t feel any niggles and pain in my body. Let’s see what happens after one year. But for one year, I still have football.
One thing is for sure that I’ll be with football in our country, but I am also sure that I wouldn’t jump into anything that comes my way. I want to detach, spend time alone and with my family and then whatever I take up, I want to be sure about it. I want to give back to the sport which has given me so much, but it’ll be something I know I can add value to.
You’ll be able to enjoy seeing Dhruv grow up...
I am really looking forward to it. I don’t want to sound like someone complaining, but in the last nine months of his existence, I have missed out on a lot of things. Again, no complaints... Sonam would call and say, ‘Today he smiled. Today he said ‘dadda’’. When I used to hear from other parents, I would be like ‘Toh kya ho gaya?’ Now, I have realised that yes, you are playing for the country and club and it’s amazing, but you miss that. Not miss that to the extent that you would leave everything and go, but you wish you were there.
I would get a little bit more time... all the seven-eight days of national camp every two months, I would be with Dhruv, hopefully, and both of us can watch the national team play and enjoy.
(Sonam joins in)
Sonam, are you looking forward to having more of Sunil at home?
Sonam: Absolutely! I am looking forward to seeing father Sunil Chhetri.
Sunil said in his Instagram post that you cried...
Sonam: I cried as a fan because I have fallen in love with Sunil Chhetri because of the footballer Sunil Chhetri.Sunil: Even on the husband part, I definitely want to improve.(Sonam laughs)Sunil: I am not saying this because she is here, but her life from the last six years and from the time she was born, has been so much about football, about wins and losses, about red cards.... It’ll not change because I am still playing for the club, but I hope we can add some other stuff. A lot of people think it’s lucrative to marry a footballer...
(Everyone goes lol)
t2: An athlete’s spouse has to make so many sacrifices...
Sunil: It’s small sacrifices, every day. If she wants to go for dinner, she has to see if I want to and the majority of times, we eat at home because we have to eat healthy....Sonam: Imagine our cheat meals will increase, finally! (Laughs)Sunil: We generally don’t go out after a certain point of time because I have to sleep or we have lost... a lot of these small things which are not sacrifices for me, because I am Sunil Chhetri and I am enjoying the perks, as a wife, I can (understand), but good that she was Subrata Bhattacharya’s daughter, so she understands. So, it wasn’t a very difficult transition. I hope I can give her and Dhruv a little bit more time and memories.
Sonam, what do you think June 6 will be like for the family?
Sonam: Every day is emotional because we have not seen him doing anything else for so long. It is going to be difficult. I want to tell him ‘Thank you’, for giving us such a memorable journey. Outstanding achievements. We are content... from Khel Ratna (to many more). I also want to tell him that he can start the project ‘next Sunil Chhetri’ at home. I have given him Dhruv.
On June 6, we are expecting a huge family get-together. We are trying to keep it like a usual match day, but it’s going to be emotional. This is the first time I am seeing retirement in my life. So, I am not prepared. We are not prepared for this day. All we want is for India to qualify for the next round and to win.Sunil: They can’t plan for anything because they don’t know how I’ll feel. If we win, the faster I’ll be fine. Then we can plan. Even for a general game...Sonam: It depends on win or loss...
Sonam, how did your dad, Subrata Bhattacharya (former footballer), react?
Sonam: He’s always had this faith in him that if he has taken a decision, he has put enough thought into it. My dad really supported him but he also asked him not to leave club football immediately. I think he is his biggest fan and he doesn’t want him to leave. He’ll lose interest in watching football (laughs). We were really upset when he said he was going to retire and the match date was so near. He kept saying enjoy every minute. But this is such an important match for India that we’ll be very tense and he has chosen such a match! How do I enjoy it?! (Laughs)Sunil: Going back to Subrata Bhattacharya, all the players, they know what they went through. They know that a little bit of you will die. There is everything in terms of your name, money and popularity, but there is nothing that can give you that adrenaline rush. And no matter who you are, you cannot buy it.
What’s your message for those struggling to let go?
Sunil: If it’s my place, where I am right now, I can’t tell you what the right time is. Nobody could tell me what the right time was. There is a line in The Dark Knight: ‘You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.’ Majority should think, good he left. So many people have showered so much love in the last 19 years, I don’t want the majority of them to feel sour.