For fifteen seconds after the final whistle, Sunil Chhetri just stood there. Alone. In the middle of the pitch, head down, hands on hip, no one around him. 58,921 people were chanting his name at the Salt Lake, but in that moment, it felt he was enveloped in a bubble of silence, like he was existing in a world inhabited by one.
In his final match in India blue, his 151st, it's a little sad, but also very telling that this was the image that struck the hardest. After all, it's been a lonely place, this world called Indian football for Sunil Chhetri. As the game kicked off, the Salt Lake saw five banners unveiled around the stands, the most evocative of them depicting Chhetri as Atlas, the globe on his shoulders a ball with the Indian map on it. It's the symbolism that no one has been able to escape ever since he announced his retirement, and how could they? It may sound hyperbolic, but look at the numbers, look back at the highlights, recollect the memories -- for 19 years now, he's risen above it's averageness time and again, but he just couldn't repeat that trick one final time.
The game ended 0-0, a point dearer to Kuwait (and Afghanistan) than India considering their next opponents. You can check out the math here, but essentially, it's a pretty tough proposition for India to make it to the next stage of World Cup qualification. Chhetri had desperately wanted to hoist the team on his shoulders and move them to a place they had never occupied before -- even if he wouldn't join them there -- but for the first time in two decades it's not at his feet anymore.
The game had been set up as a celebration of Chhetri. His face adorned the walls that separated the VIP enclosure from the general seats, his name was cheered louder (by about ten times) than anyone else's at the lineup announcement, the chanting pre-and-during-and-post match was all about him. His name adorned the back of every India shirt on sale outside and worn inside. Little of this is new, of course, it's always been about him, but today you could taste the emotion that hung heavy in the Kolkata air.
But it was Kuwait who took the game to India, Kuwait who had the better chances, who bossed possession. Chhetri started as the #9, but you could see immediately why he'd taken the call to retire. It wouldn't have been noticeable for anyone else, but we're so used to Chhetri being Chhetri that it was hard to watch him being a split-second late: to a Sahal Abdul Samad cushioned-down header in the box, to a whipped Liston Colaco low cross at the near post, to a cheeky Brandon Fernandes chip-pass off a freekick. There were moments, like when he cannily timed his run and won an aerial challenge against a much taller centre-back (almost his trademark move), but the game mostly passed him by. When moved to a #10 position towards the end, it was remarkable how much more of an impact the imposingly physical Rahim Ali had on proceedings. Chhetri ran and ran and ran, harder than anyone in blue as always, but it seemed like he'd timed well the biggest call of his career.
Not that it made it easier to take.
Perhaps, though, that was for the best. Even when not at his best, you could sense he was still India's best bet in front of goal. Chhetri now leaves the team with everyone still craving for more, the world not yet ready to have itself hoisted off the shoulders of the man they called captain. That love remained palpable through the night, and long after the final whistle blow. After the game ended, Chhetri went on a lap of honour, not a soul moving from their places in the stands till he finished it. The team then gave a guard of honour -- but before he walked through it, he took a moment, head in hands, the tears flowing freely now. For anyone who's followed this team for any length of time, this wasn't an easy sight.
Thank you for everything, #SunilChhetri! ������
You'll be missed ��#INDKUW #ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup �� #BlueTigers �� #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/NMQFHkYB0o
- Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 6, 2024
Atlas has shrugged now, though, and it's time to move on. Igor Stimac and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (the latter looking visibly drained emotionally at the post-match presser) said much the same. After all, they have to face Asia's best team in five days. "We won't have Sunil bhai with us," said Gurpreet, "it's sad, but we need to cope as a team and move on. Unfortunately, the world doesn't wait for anyone."
This particular world, though, seemed ready to wait as long as it took.
There was a grand felicitation ceremony at the end, dignitaries of all shapes and sizes pushing for a spot in the limelight, but that was reserved solely for Chhetri. Voice choking, tears barely constrained, Chhetri addressed them and the crowd that had remained to hear him, his words echoing around the great stadium. Maybe, then, that's how this piece should end too, in the voice of the greatest ever to don India blue.
"For everyone who came for the game, for everyone who watched for the last 19 years, for the ones who have watched in videos, for the ones who have taken autographs and the ones who have been old-time supporters - thank you everyone. These 19 years would not have been possible without each and every one of you and I genuinely mean it. For everyone who is here, thank you so much - I genuinely mean it. I think [chokes up again]... I think I'll speak from the heart - everyone stay well, stay happy - thank you, thank you so much."