'You've held the flag high!' - How Indian sports fraternity reacted to Sunil Chhetri's retirement

Shashank is a sports journalist, analyst, and above all, a true sports enthusiast.

Published at :June 7, 2024 at 6:45 PM

Modified at :June 7, 2024 at 6:46 PM

(Courtesy : X/@IndianFootball)

Sunil Chhetri scored 94 goals in 19 years for the Indian football team.

Indian legend Sunil Chhetri retired from international football on June 6. The Blue Tigers played a goalless draw against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Salt Lake Stadium on Thursday.

The stadium was fully packed with spectators as football enthusiasts wanted to take a final glimpse of perhaps the greatest Indian football legend. However, fans didn’t get to witness a goal by Chhetri as the match ended 0-0.

Several sports personalities as well as teams took to social media to thank Sunil Chhetri for everything he’s done for Indian football. Let’s take a look at a few of the social media reactions:

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar also wished Sunil Chhetri a happy retirement by stating that he played a major role in keeping the nation’s flag flying high in football. He wrote, “No goal is easy to achieve. Let alone 94 international ones. You’ve held the flag high, Sunil Chhetri. Congratulations on a remarkable career!”

No goal is easy to achieve.Let alone 94 international ones.You've held the flag high, Sunil Chhetri.🇮🇳⚽ Congratulations on a remarkable career! pic.twitter.com/K9QSkcg0e3
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 6, 2024

Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also penned a heartwarming note for Chhetri.

Take a bow captain @chetrisunil11 🙇🏻! 19 years, 94 goals, 151 matches and countless memories. What a legendary career 🌟 definitely a benchmark for youngsters to pursue the sport and to dream big. Thank you for leading by example, for every unforgettable moment, and for making… pic.twitter.com/pgOvH6gA8Z
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 6, 2024

Indian Premier League (IPL) teams such as the Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Gujarat Titans also paid tribute to the former football captain.

Captain 🫡Legend 💛G.O.A.T of Indian ⚽Chhetri, Thank you for everything!📸: Getty@chetrisunil11 pic.twitter.com/VkhMWGj71n
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) June 6, 2024

The man who carried the 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 on his back! ❤️Your journey brought us joy we'll never forget. Thank you for the unforgettable memories, Skipper. 🥺🫶#SunilChhetri pic.twitter.com/3L3Imt3FCl
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) June 6, 2024

The word 'Legend' is not enough to describe you 🫡Thank you for everything, #SunilChhetri! 🙌🇮🇳pic.twitter.com/9dcZoCniER
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) June 6, 2024

1️⃣5️⃣1️⃣ appearances for 🇮🇳9️⃣4️⃣ goals 1️⃣ Sunil Chhetri Thank you for the unforgettable memories, Captain! ⚡️#ThankYouSC11[📸 Bengaluru FC] pic.twitter.com/Cltz1fn3wC
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) June 6, 2024

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Indian Super League (ISL) sides such as Kerala Blasters, Chennaiyin FC, and Bengaluru FC also thanked Sunil Chhetri for his performance and achievements as the Blue Tigers captain.

What a player. What a career. Take a bow, you legend. 🇮🇳#WeAreBFC #INDKUW #SunilChhetri #ThankYouSC11 pic.twitter.com/icTcVgBcGI
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) June 6, 2024

The KFA bid farewell to Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri, marking the end of his illustrious 19-year international career. KFA General Secretary Anilkumar P and former Indian captain IM Vijayan presented a memento to honor his remarkable journey. 🌟⚽ #ThankYouSC11 #Legend pic.twitter.com/OdKoLSVeVc
— Kerala Football Association (@keralafa) June 7, 2024

It’s not about the goals. It’s not about the wins. It’s about the journey and how far you carried the ball. Thank you for getting us here. 💙🇮🇳#AllInForChennaiyin #SunilChhetri #ThankYouSC11 pic.twitter.com/gmPuGSZmsk
— Chennaiyin F.C. (@ChennaiyinFC) June 6, 2024

Also Read: India held by Kuwait in Sunil Chhetri’s farewell match

Former Indian men’s hockey team captain and Arjuna Awardee Viren Rasquinha also took to social media and wished Chhetri a happy retirement.

He wrote, “I think what makes Sunil Chhetri a legend is not just the goals he scored for 🇮🇳 and the longevity of his career. It’s also his teamwork, never-say-die attitude, work ethic & leadership. But most importantly, his role model behaviour. We need more Sunil Chhetri’s in Indian Sport.”

I think what makes Sunil Chhetri a legend is not just the goals he scored for 🇮🇳 and the longevity of his career. It’s also his teamwork, never say die attitude, work ethic & leadership. But most importantly, his role model behaviour. We need more Sunil Chhetri’s in Indian Sport. pic.twitter.com/s1eTs76SqQ
— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) June 6, 2024

2020 Tokyo Olympics Neeraj Chopra also lauded the former Indian football captain.

आपने हमारा झंडा बहुत ऊंचा लहराया, @chetrisunil11 bhai. 🇮🇳Congratulations on an amazing international career! 👏 pic.twitter.com/w5hhq4iSQn
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) June 7, 2024

Indian Football, NBA India and the Indian Super League also paid tribute to the 39-year-old.

𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒅. 🙌Here's to an incredible career @chetrisunil11! ✨#SunilChhetri #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/V0vfbdqmfQ
— NBA India (@NBAIndia) June 6, 2024

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋 #𝟏𝟏 💙Beyond forgery. Beyond imitation. 👑#SunilChhetri #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/VY63jRfGtc
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) May 17, 2024

In tears of gratitude! 💙Sunil Chhetri’s final salute to the fans who made his journey memorable. 🙏#ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/psGR7QCivH
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 7, 2024

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Shashank Tripathi

Shashank is a journalist at Khel Now covering Olympic sports. A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate, he’s a former national-level footballer and multi-sport athlete. A Liverpool fan since 2014, he idolizes Steven Gerrard and admires Rafael Nadal’s grit. Known for his accurate, well-researched reporting, Shashank also follows tennis, WWE, and taekwondo.