Sunil Chhetri is an Indian football icon. Time and time again, he has done the country proud by scoring crucial goals for India at the international level. Synonymous with guile, deft control over the ball and clinical finish, Sunil Chhetri has an aura to his movement whenever he touches the ball.
He has scored 84 goals for India in 129 official international appearances ever since his debut on 12 June 2005 against Pakistan. With 84 international goals to his resume, Chhetri is currently the third-highest international goalscorer among active players behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, a video doing the rounds on social media shows the West Bengal governor pushing away India’s football icon, Sunil Chhetri during the presentation ceremony. The video clip has gone viral all over social media platforms.
Social media users have launched a scathing attack on the Bengal governor La Ganesan for his conduct towards the Bengaluru captain who was receiving the Shimla Cup.
Watch the video below:
Moreover, Chhetri is also the highest active goalscorer in Asia. Sunil Chhetri was born on August 3, 1984, in Secunderabad to K.B. Chhetri and Sushila Chhetri. Sunil Chhetri started his footballing career at a young age when he actively took part in several tournaments.
He proudly represented India for the first time in Asian School Championship in the year 2001. Kolkata-based Mohun Bagan club spotted Sunil Chhetri’s talent and roped his signature in the next year. He hogged the limelight when he made his debut for the senior Indian national team in the 2004 Asian Games.
He announced his arrival in style when he scored his maiden goal against Pakistan. Due to his string of excellent spells for the club and country, he was selected as AIFF Player of the Year. He enjoys netting goals playing as a forward and was awarded the Best Player of the Year and Best Forward by the National Football League.
Sunil Chhetri became an icon when he steered India to win the Nehru Cup for the first time since 1997. He has gone from strength to strength and went on to lead India to lift the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup where he was awarded Most Valuable Player.
Sunil Chhetri gained global attention for his stellar performances and he signed for English Club Queens Park Rangers but unfortunately, he was not given a work permit. In 2009, he was Awarded Best Player and Best Striker by the Football Players’ Association of India. In the next year, he created history as he was the first Indian footballer to ply the trade for a Major League Soccer Club in the USA. He was named the captain of the Indian football team in 2010.