Sunil Chhetri announces his retirement
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The Indian national football team has been hoping for years that the next generation of strikers who could lead the nation will eventually emerge and answer the question of what life may be like without Sunil Chhetri.
Even Chhetri himself was unable to steer clear of the subject in his retirement video now that June 6 is the day of reckoning. The persistent, yet unaddressed concern about "who next after Chhetri"
It's an understatement to say that the 39-year-old has become indispensable to the nation. What indicates what is ahead is how much it has depended on Chhetri.
When one examines some of India's most significant victories and draws over the previous 19 years, it becomes clear that Chhetri has a long history of contributing to the national team's goal scoring. In their history, India has made five trips to the AFC Asian Cup. He has been the focal point of events three of the five times.
When he made his debut in 2005 against Pakistan, it has been 19 years. He would play alongside Bhaichung Bhutia for the national team at the time. The keys were firmly passed over to his strike partner in 2011 when Bhutia decided to end his injury-plagued last years with Indian football.
However, Chhetri has been the only keeper of the Indian hitting department ever since, with very few or no competitors. His longevity, spanning 19 years, 150 appearances for his country, and 94 goals in those minutes played, ultimately represents a whole generation of footballers that have come and gone.
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