The awkwardness was palpable when Sunil Chhetri spoke, even when some 1500 miles away.
The nationwide workforce captain hadn’t even left the sphere on Monday after scoring each targets in India’s win over Bangladesh earlier than the comparisons with Lionel Messi surfaced once more. This time, it got here from the official Twitter deal with of the FIFA World Cup.
“He’s now got more than Messi!” the deal with exclaimed, referring to Chhetri surpassing the Argentine legend on the record of lively footballers with probably the most worldwide targets. So, when India’s highest goal-scorer sat down with the media on Wednesday, the elephant within the room was addressed first up.
“You have an opinion, and you have a platform (to express it). But there is no comparison whatsoever with Messi or any player in that category,” Chhetri mentioned. “There are thousands and thousands of players better than me. People who understand football, they know it.”
The lazy comparability, which ignores so many intangibles, additionally trivialises the worth of Chhetri’s 74 targets for the nationwide workforce. For a serious a part of the final decade, India has repeatedly turned to the 36-year-old ahead each time the workforce has been in hassle. Chhetri, nearly unfailingly, has delivered. Be it when he scored his first purpose in nationwide colors as a 20-year-old. Or now, when he’s scoring from assists by 20-year-olds like Suresh Wangjam.
🤩 He’s now acquired greater than Messi! Sunil Chhetri’s double earns the Blue Tigers a 2-0 win in #WCQ and strikes him on to 74 worldwide targets – above Lionel Messi and one off getting into world soccer’s all-time prime 10 🧗♂️@chetrisunil11 | @IndianSoccer pic.twitter.com/sCCd6BgS9H
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 7, 2021
“I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve walked out of the tunnel… with an unreal sense of security that he will deliver when we need it the most,” goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu wrote on his social media deal with. “He just keeps turning up over and over again.”
Just as he did with the brace on Monday, scoring within the 79th and 92nd minutes within the 2-0 win over Bangladesh. True, it was Bangladesh, which at 184 is positioned 79 spots under India in FIFA rankings. And within the greater image, the dual strikes won’t seem like of giant significance. But the present state by which the workforce finds itself, the significance of the targets doesn’t diminish.
They have introduced again on monitor India’s flagging qualifying marketing campaign, so far as the Asian Cup is anxious, and snapped an 11-game winless run handy a lifeline to the under-fire coach Igor Stimac.
A World Cup spot was by no means in India’s sight; a spot within the 2023 Asian Cup was a extra reasonable goal for the world’s A hundred and fifth-ranked workforce. And on face worth, the workforce has proven marginal enchancment from the earlier World Cup and Asian Cup joint qualifying match. With one match left to play – in opposition to Afghanistan subsequent Tuesday – India has 4 extra factors this time in comparison with the 2018 cycle.
READ | Chhetri overtakes Messi in record of lively worldwide goalscorers
But it’s additionally a marketing campaign the place India have swung from one excessive – stealing a degree in an away match in opposition to Asian champions Qatar – to a different – dropping factors in opposition to Bangladesh at dwelling. Chhetri accepted the workforce has “blown hot and cold,” and rued the truth that the workforce couldn’t seize the alternatives when introduced, particularly within the opening match 2-1 loss to Oman.
Chhetri, nevertheless, isn’t outcomes as the one parameter to evaluate the nationwide workforce’s progress. More than successful or shedding, he’s eager to see how the workforce performs as soon as the gamers get some expertise underneath their belt. And he has recommendation for his teammates: “Be brave with the ball.”
The matches in opposition to Oman and Qatar, in addition to the latest outcomes in opposition to the likes of China and Thailand, have proven that the workforce can defend. The health ranges, too, Chhetri added, have improved for the workforce to play the complete match with excessive depth. “We understand defense and diet,” he mentioned.
The subsequent step for the nationwide workforce, he added, is to point out braveness to maintain the ball.
“Not like Barcelona, not many teams can do that. But we have to be braver on the ball, stitch together five-six passes and build from that,” Chhetri added.
He mentioned it will change as soon as the gamers begin taking part in extra matches. Right now, aside from him, solely Sandhu and defender Sandesh Jhingan have been assured starters for the nationwide workforce, with coach Stimac being accused of tinkering an excessive amount of with the squad.
Sunil Chhetri in motion in opposition to Bangladesh (AIFF Photo)
Chhetri, although, defended the Croat.
“Now no one can complain that the coach didn’t give them a fair chance,” Chhetri mentioned. “However, it’s not that the coach doesn’t want a settled team. He’s been looking to narrow down to a group of 14 players that he will keep faith in but the situation has been tough.”
Based on the end result in opposition to Afghanistan, India will know whether or not they may straight qualify for the third spherical of the Asian Cup qualifiers or shall be pressured to compete in a playoff match.
And whereas Chhetri is more likely to characteristic once more on the goal-scoring charts, resulting in comparisons with Messi once more, there’s one other inevitable query he’s routinely confronted with: Who after Chhetri?
“Many people ask me that,” he mentioned. “There will be better players… that is how evolution works. It takes time. My work is till the time I am here, I’ll give my best.”
