Life after Sunil Chhetri: Who can replace the Indian ace in the future?

Sunil Chhetri most definitely falls under the ambit of this quote. The India and Bengaluru FC talisman has been the face of Indian football for well over a decade now, since the passing of the baton from Bhaichung Bhutia. Indeed, the veteran of 112 caps and 76 goals for India is only second behind Juventus and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo in the list of most goals scored (active scorers) at the international level.

Like the Portuguese star, Chhetri has carried the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders. One could argue that India’s pedigree in the footballing world is not the same as that of Portugal, but it is still a sizeable burden to carry and one that he has done with aplomb. But, as he ages into the twilight of his career at the age of 35, the question that every Indian football fan has been dreading has to be asked. Who next after Sunil Chhetri? Is there really another Chhetri lying in wait for India?

The answer is yes. However given Chhetri’s calibre, it needs an ensemble of players to do what he did for so long and India do have a crop of young players that have shown that they can share the burden with adequate coaching and encouragement. This has coincided with a cautiously optimistic phase for Indian football in the last five years.

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Bengaluru FC’s introduction into the I-League and Stephen Constantine’s return as head coach were two key pivotal moments for this shift in momentum for Indian football. Chhetri was drafted as a marquee player for the Blues since their bow in 2013 and since then has made the city his home. The professionalism that the club, the fans and the coaching staff brought to Chhetri and other young Indian players went a long way to shaping their careers for the national side.

Who are the alternatives?

There was a method to the madness be it possession football, route one or counter attacking approaches. Emphasis on fitness and tactics became a norm and the culture of fans showing up in droves to the stadium only made football in India ‘cool’, something that had never happened on a wide scale. Constantine’s decision to expand the pool of players in contention for the national side also gave a message to every player in India. No place is to be taken for granted and only the best shall play.

This resulted in at least 30 players being handed their debuts under the Briton and some of them have gone on to become senior figureheads in the national side. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan and Udanta Singh, have formed an admirable support cast for Chhetri and the integrations of Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Vinit Rai, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Brandon Fernandes have only given India fans more hope that there is life beyond the talisman.

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Video: Sunil Chhetri Appeal to Football fans

Thapa in particular gave a good account of himself in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, especially in the 1-4 drubbing of Thailand in what was a difficult group. Although, the team finished at the bottom of the group after narrow losses to the UAE and Bahrain, it gave fans more reasons to cheer than be disappointed.

The team had fought tooth and nail and had shown the ability to compete. He has already racked up 23 appearances for the national side scoring twice and looks set to be the creative linchpin for the team.

Udanta Singh is another player that has shown credentials to take a share of the load from Chhetri, thanks to his performances at club and national level. The winger has the benefit of playing with the skipper regularly at Bengaluru and for India and also has had coaching inputs from some fine tacticians in Indian football, like Ashley Westwood, Albert Roca, Carles Cuadrat, Constantine and most recently, Igor Stimac.

Familiarity with the player and also being a part of such coaching environments has only increased the player’s flexibility at a tactical level and bodes well for India. The 23-year old is also now a regular for both club and country.

Recent additions like Ashique Kuruniyan and Chhangte have chipped in with goals in their limited appearances for the national side and will only get better under Stimac, who has brought in a style of play that grants more freedom of expression for the creative guns in the side.

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Why Sunil Chhetri will still be invaluable to the Indian squad during transition?

The similarity with the Portuguese national side is stark. Post the FIFA World Cup in 2014, one thought that there would be no team without Ronaldo. However, Fernando Santos’ arrival and an emergence of young Portuguese talent like Bernardo Silva, Andre Silva, Andre Gomes, Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes have given their fans a generation for the future.

This does not mean that Chhetri or Ronaldo can be dropped entirely at the moment. The inputs they bring from a tactical, physical and leadership point of view are critical for coaches, especially when the team is building for the future.

The recent goalless draw against 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar in the qualifying rounds for the tournament did not feature Chhetri. The fact that only Brazil, Argentina and Colombia have been the other teams that Qatar haven’t scored against in 2019 is a testament to the team’s ability to perform without the skipper in the ranks.

The day Chhetri hangs up his boots is one where tears will be shed and a farewell of the highest order would be warranted. But, it is also the day that the arrival of a new generation of Indian players has to be celebrated to take this team into a brighter future.