The best system to play would be the same as to what the league plays- Sunil Chhetri

The 34-year-old also feels that the recent injection of young blood will help the Blue Tigers in the longer run.

Ahead of India's second Hero Intercontinental Cup match against DPR Korea, Sunil Chhetri met with the press in an interaction on Friday. The Indian skipper was the highest goalscorer in the tournament last season and has opened his account in this edition after scoring a brace against Tajikistan.

The Blue Tigers were recently invited to participate in the King's Cup tournament in Thailand. Although, the team lost its opening game against Curacao, they bounced back to beat the host side Thailand and finish third in the tournament. Looking back at the two games, Chhetri spoke positively of the tournament and the games that have followed since the arrival of the new head coach.

Speaking on the influence of the coach on the changes that have taken place since then, Chhetri exclaimed, "Pretty good! The two games in Thailand were very crucial for us. We understood exactly what the coach wants. We started learning what kind of play he wants. It's been good for us. Apart from the second half against Tajikistan, we have been really good."

Watch: Sunil Chhetri full media interaction ahead of game against DPR Korea

"He's very knowledgeable, someone who understands modern football. Someone who works really very hard, someone who is really helpful to all the players. The best part that I like about him is that he is very brave. He is someone who wants to be fair and give everyone a chance," Chhetri added.

Following the arrival of Igor Stimac, the Blue Tigers have experienced a drastic change in their gameplay. There has been more emphasis on having the ball under possession rather than lumping it forward and the team looks to build from behind, something similar to how almost every Spanish tactician in the domestic leagues has been trying to do.

The overall impact of the Croatian on the gameplay is visible even though the team has only played a handful of games under his tutelage. Despite playing only a few games, Chhetri believes that Stimac's style of play is the way to go forward for the Indian team, as he feels that it's best to play how the teams play already in the league.

"If you ask me, the best system to play would be the same as to what the league plays. In that sense, you will get the probability of success a little bit more," he said.

"Sometimes, he's going make mistakes, he's also a human. But, in the end, as a player, our simple formula is to do what the coach wants and we will back him wherever he plays us," he further added.

Many new faces like Sahal Abdul Samad, Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Raynier Fernandes have been called-up to the national camp and have made debuts under the new head coach in the last three games. The youngsters have pushed players like Chhetri and Udanta Singh and there has been competition like never before to cement places in the first-team.

Chhetri believes that such things would only benefit him and the others as they would look to better themselves individually. The striker, while agreeing with Stimac's policy of inclusiveness of youngsters, said, "I like it, I think it helps me individually and also as a team."

Adding on the same question, Chhetri discussed how perplexed he was to know that someone like Amarjit is already pushing someone like Udanta.

He said, "I asked Amarjit Singh, 'Who you looked up to? Who do you want to be like?' He said Udanta [Singh] Bhai. I'm like, Udanta is a kid for me. For me, Udanta came yesterday. And now there's one guy who was born in 2001 - the year I played first for the national team, and he says Udanta is his idol."

Watch: Indian football team trains ahead of game against DPR Korea on 12 July

"So it's nice. We now have one guy pushing Udanta. The U-15 guys under Bibiano (Fernandes) would be dreaming when would we get the chance - so it is nice," Chhetri explained.

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India, in the last couple of months, have already played or are to play some of the best teams of the continent and outside in Curacao, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea and Syria. Ever since the AFC Asian Cup performance, the team has been looked upon with great respect in the continental tournaments. Chhetri, however, doesn't wish to stop playing with the SAFF nations, but wants to see the youngsters play against them.

The Indian football team face DPR Korea in their second game of the Hero Intercontinental Cup on Saturday. The game kicks off at 8 PM at the EKA Arena by TransStadia and will be avaialble on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar.