How Sunil Chhetri scored his first international goal

Sunil Chhetri has scored 92 international goals for India

India has been home to several sporting superstars in the modern era. From Kapil Dev to Sachin Tendulkar to Leander Paes to Sania Mirza to Dhanraj Pillay to PV Sindhu to Virat Kohli to Neeraj Chopra, the baton has been passed on at times, while there have been several new flagbearers who have lifted the flag themselves.

In football, Sunil Chhetri is considered to be the best football player that the nation has ever produced. Chhetri, a Khel Ratna awardee, is known for his heroics on the pitch in the blue jersey of India. On the international stage, Chhetri finds himself in the elite company of the two best footballers that the beautiful game has ever seen. Again, arguably.

The Indian skipper is currently the third-highest active goalscorer with 92 goals to his name, behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and world champion Lionel Messi. The magic man turns 39 today, and fortunately, there’s no stopping him.

As Sunil Chhetri begins another year, we take a look at what the Indian captain told the ISL media team about how he scored his first international goal.

Build up to the game

Sunil Chhetri shared what it was like being in Pakistan as a young kid to represent India in a high-voltage game against Pakistan like it always is. He said both he and his roommate, Syed Rahim Nabi, were juniors on the team, and he didn’t expect to start that game, given the huge build-up to the game. But to their utter surprise, their coach asked them to start the game.

“I think my room partner was Syed Rahim Nabi. We both were amongst two juniors who were first called for the camp and selected for the trip. We both didn’t think that we would start, although we wanted to. Throughout the build up it was quite evident that we won’t start. We were hoping to get some minutes with the national team because once you get the national team jersey, you want to play.”

He further said he couldn’t control his emotions after knowing he was starting the game and started putting perfume on his jersey and shorts. 

“In the morning of the match, Sukhi sir came to us and told us that he had decided that we both would start, and we both went mad. Right from breakfast, I was thinking about the game and putting perfume on both my jersey and shorts, I don’t know why (laughs). That was my first-ever start for the senior national team, and it is something that I’ll never forget,” he told the ISL media team.

Sunil Chhetri’s first international goal

He further mentioned his first goal and the aftermath of it. Chhetri described himself as fortunate to be able to score for India on his debut. He said how his goal changed the atmosphere inside the stadium.

“To my fortune, I also ended up scoring in that game. I got so pumped that I scored and celebrated with my arms out. I turned and there was no one there. In the first half, the stadium was hostile but in the second half there was pin-drop silence. I had scored against Pakistan playing for India in Pakistan. 

“Sadly, our happiness didn’t last for long as we conceded in the 80th minute and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. I will never forget my debut for my country and also being fortunate on scoring on my debut,” he asserted.

How did you score?

When asked about how he scored his first goal, Sunil Chhetri walked down memory lane and recalled how there was some confusion, but thankfully the ball fell to him, and he just hit the ball, and it just found the back of the net. 

“I think it was a cross from the right side. There was confusion and I got the chance to hit a volley and it wasn’t even placement. I just whacked it and it went straight in. That’s all I remember,” he told the ISL media team.

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