Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri will bid farewell to his stunning international career after the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on June 6 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata as well. Before his final game for the national team, star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli paid a heartfelt tribute to the star player.
However, Virat Kohli recently revealed that Chhetri personally messaged him about his plans to announce his retirement from international football after the Kuwait match. The two sporting icons share a pretty close bond over the years. Interestingly, in the 2023 edition, Chhetri visited Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team before their match against Mumbai Indians at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru as well.
“He actually messaged me as well, informing me that he was going to do it. But I would say that he felt like he was at peace with the decision. I have become really close with him over the years and wish him nothing but the best. He is a lovely, lovely guy,” Kohli said on the RCB Insider Show.
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However, Sunil Chhetri’s retirement will mark the end of an era for Indian football as well. The 39-year-old is now the third-highest active international goal scorer, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as well. His departure will leave a massive void in the national team also.
Chhetri, in a video posted on his social media handle, shared the emotional toll his retirement decision had on his family, particularly his wife.
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“When I did decide that this was going to be my last game, I told my family about it. Dad was normal. He was relieved, happy, everything. It was my wife, strangely. I told her. ‘You always used to bug me that there are too many games, there’s too much pressure. Now I am telling you that I’m not going to play for my country anymore after this game.’ Even they couldn’t tell me why there were tears,” he said.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli is currently the highest run-scorer of the IPL 2024 with a massive 661 runs in 13 matches. Kohli will be seen in action against Chennai Super Kings for the last league game on Saturday, May 18 as well.
