Chhetri's omission: A question of answers

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Kolkata: At 10.44pm on Independence Day it became clear that Sunil Chhetri will not figure in Khalid Jamil's plans for the CAFA Nations Cup, the new India head coach's first assignment beginning later this month. File picture of India football team skipper Sunil Chhetri greets his fans after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia qualifier against Kuwait at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium on June 6, 2024. (AFP FILE)
The media release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) listing the 22 who had joined the preparatory camp in Bengaluru was posted in the journalists' WhatsApp group late on Friday. It had to be read with an earlier social media post from AIFF that named the 13 who were yet to report to understand that Jamil is looking beyond the talisman who turned 41 on August 3.
In the absence of any kind of announcement regarding Chhetri's unavailability, it will have to be assumed that the India captain has been dropped. Which would be a rare thing in the 20-year international career of a player who has the most international goals (95) after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi among active players.
Bengaluru FC, where Chhetri's contract has a year to run, have not started training and suspended salaries of the first team and staff in the absence of clarity on the 2025-26 season. Yet, Jamil has included six players from the club. On Friday, they and Jamil had their first training session. On the same day, after a back injury while on holiday, Chhetri trained on his own.
Manolo Marquez had persuaded Chhetri to come out of international retirement. It was announced with some razzmatazz on social media on March 6, but Chhetri could not reproduce his Indian Super League form of 14 goals and two assists – his best returns in seven seasons. In four matches for India, he has one goal and no assist.
'It was risky, yes,' Marquez told HT last month after leaving his post as India head coach. 'But we had problems finding goals and he was scoring in ISL…Now, everyone can say that it was a mistake and I need to accept that. But I think that was not a mistake. He is a top professional and I was very satisfied to be able to count on him.'
There could be a number of reasons for Chhetri's contrasting form for club and country: the quality of players at Bengaluru FC, the difference in the level of opponents in ISL and international football are but two. But if last season is the benchmark, Chhetri is fit and retains game smarts necessary for international football.
But just as it is Chhetri's decision to be available, it is Jamil's to look ahead. He has a two-year contract with the option for a third. Chhetri is unlikely to continue in club football beyond 2025-26 so Jamil seeking forwards who will play beyond that is a fair call.
But in the absence of an official statement, all of this is speculation. Could AIFF have got Jamil to explain his selections and omissions in the media release? Should AIFF change its ways and get head coaches to do that always? Could Jamil and Chhetri have got on the phone with the coach telling the player why he was being left out? Could that have been mentioned in the media release? The answer to all of the above is: yes.
After a rousing send-off in June 2024, Chhetri would have needed some persuasion, possibly ignored advice from his family, to pull on an India shirt again. He has chosen not to speak about it. What does Jamil's decision mean for his international future? If this is it, if the low of a defeat to Hong Kong is how it ends, does Chhetri, and the rest of India, not deserve to know that?