Khalid Jamil opens up about Sunil Chhetri ahead of Panama, Brazil & Uruguay friendlies
The Blue Tigers will feature against three FIFA World Cup opponents in the September-October window.
Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil opened up about Sunil Chhetri ahead of the upcoming international friendlies against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, explaining why recalling him would not be a good idea.
The Blue Tigers are all set to play three FIFA World Cup nations in the September-October FIFA international window, with these international friendlies presenting a perfect opportunity for India to gain international exposure.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, Jamil explained the reason why he did not call up India legend Sunil Chhetri for the next fixtures despite some sections of the fans demanding it.
The Blue Tigers will play Panama in Bengaluru on 26th September, and then Kolkata will host the two South American giants, Brazil and Uruguay at the VYBK Stadium. On 3rd October 2026, India will contest against the five-time World champions, Brazil and on 6th October will take on the two-time World champions Uruguay.
In this article, we take a look at what Khalid Jamil said regarding leaving out Sunil Chhetri ahead of the crucial friendlies.
Khalid urges respect for Sunil from the Indian football fans
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The Blue Tigers’ head coach spoke highly of Sunil Chhetri and pleaded with Indian football fans to give the legendary striker the respect he deserves, mentioning that Sunil Chhetri was not forced to return to the national setup, as he made his own decision.
“We must give him respect. Everybody must follow him. He has played for so many years. Yes, we miss him. I definitely miss him. Whenever he was there, I enjoyed in the camp. I used to see him.” said Khalid Jamil.
“I didn’t force Sunil. He was injured in the first camp before he went to the CAFA Cup; that’s why I didn’t take him. Then I talked to him, and he said, yes, I want to come. He came, and I didn’t force him. He played two matches.”
“Then after the match he came and said, I want to stop. I don’t want to continue. I didn’t force him either. I will say one thing about Sunil. Yes, we need a player like Sunil.”
“I saw Sunil’s behaviour. Everybody must set Sunil as an example. I haven’t seen a player like Sunil. While playing, he was a disciplined boy. And his hunger is still there.”
“Sunil is India’s number one”: Jamil
What Sunil Chhetri has done for Indian football goes far beyond his on-field achievements. He inspired a generation through his football, and now Khalid Jamil highly appreciates Sunil’s devotion, describing him as an example that every footballer should follow.
“Sunil is India’s number one. And talking about his behaviour, if you have a player like him in India, we can grow, and we need more players like him. At least if we have such a player, we can do good.”
“I saw him off the field, outside the field. I haven’t seen such a player. Otherwise, I never mention the name of the player.”
Why did Sunil Chhetri initially miss the camp?
Khalid Jamil said Chhetri was injured during the first camp before travelling to the Cafa Cup, which is why he was not selected at that stage.
Did Khalid Jamil force Sunil Chhetri to return?
No. Jamil said Chhetri himself expressed his desire to return after they spoke about his involvement with the team.
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