‘I never think about it’: Sunil Chhetri dismisses retirement rumors before Lebanon clash – World Today News

In welcome news for Indian football fans, captain Sunil Chhetri has dismissed retirement talks, saying he will still play for India on Friday June 30. The legendary striker has been arguably India’s greatest footballer of all time with 92 goals in 140 caps so far. and he shows no signs of stopping.

The 38-year-old Chhetri is on a good run at the ongoing 2023 South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF Cup) with five goals in three matches, including a famous hat-trick against Pakistan. While speaking at the pre-match conference on the eve of India’s upcoming match against Lebanon, Chhetri ended ongoing withdrawal talks. He revealed that he does not plan to say goodbye to international football, adding that he never sets long-term goals for himself.

“I don’t know when my last game for the country will be. It stems from the fact that I have never had long-term goals, I think about the next game, the next 10 days. There may come a day where I probably don’t want to, as there are so many things, and I’ll be done. Until then, I never thought about it,” Chhetri said ahead of India’s semi-final match against Lebanon.

“In general, there are some parameters that I think about. If I am contributing to the team or not, if I can score a goal or not, training as hard as I want or not. These are some of the markers that will score tell me if I am good for this team or not. The day I see that he is not there, I am done, I am leaving because there is no other motivation for me to play.

However, the Bengaluru FC legend added that his family is also guessing about his retirement plans, to which he jokes by showing them his remarkable stats.

“But unfortunately, I can’t tell if (retirement) is in a year or six months. Fortunately or unfortunately, my family is also guessing, and every time they mention it, jokingly, I tell them my statistics. The day that I’m done with my gasoline, diesel, electricity or whatever I’ve done,” Chhetri said.

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