Sunil Chhetri was the defining player of his generation

KOLKATA: With his hands on the hip, Sunil Chhetri stood a little distance away from the pack of his teammates in the middle of the park. He stood motionless, as if dazed, for a few seconds, his eyes blank and without expression.
A few minutes ago, Chinese referee Fu Ming had blown the whistle to seal India's goalless draw with Kuwait in their second-round fixture of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, thus ringing the curtain on Chhetri's 19-year-old career in the Blue Tigers jersey.
Suddenly the Salt Lake Stadium stands roared into "Chhetri, Chhteri" chants, stirring the 39-year-old out of his trance as he was given a standing ovation He began a lap of honour around the ground. Then he broke down in tears as his teammates, coach Igor Stimac and his coaching staff members lined up to give him the guard of honour. After plethora of hugs and handshakes, he slowly walked down the tunnel, out of everyone's sight and into a new life, leaving behind a legacy Indian football has hardly experienced.
The build-up to Thursday's match was all about Chhetri's send-off. Before the kick-off, the famed Blue Pilgrims stand behind the goalpost unfurled a giant tifo, showing Chhetri holding the earth, a la Hercules. India failed to turn the occasion more memorable and meaningful for Chhetri following the stalemate but that tifo perhaps represents what Chhetri has stood for in Indian football in nearly two decades since making his senior de but against Pakistan in 2005.
He will be remembered as the defining player of his generation, someone who has transcended his sport more than any other, a reference point in Indian football in the true sense of the term.
Unlike IM Vijayan, he might not have an eye for the spectacular. Unlike Bhaichung Bhutia, he might not be a typical fox in the box. Chhetri's game has always been a fable of discipline, dedication and determination.
His goals were cheeky, audacious and brilliant - scoring from midfield to embarrassing the goalkeeper with a Panenka penalty. He made people fall in love with the game.
In a later post-match felicitation, organized by the Indian Football Association, he returned to the ground to receive accolades from the Big 3 clubs - East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting as well as the state government. A few former players like Vijayan, Mehtab Hossain, Alvito D'Cunha and Rahim Nabi then gave him a tight embrace one by one.