"Never dreamt of playing for country," says Chhetri ahead of his 150th international match

Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 25 (ANI): Ahead of Sunil Chhetri's 150th Senior International match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualification Round 2 encounter against Afghanistan in Guwahati, the India skipper said that he never dreamt of playing for the country.
In an interview with the AIFF, the 39-year-old Blue Tigers skipper said that when he made his debut in the Suubroto Cup, he never imagined representing India since at that time there was no bridge that connected one's actions to their destination.
"When I was playing the Subroto Cup in Delhi, I didn't even think or dream that I would play for the country. The professional setup of playing for a club was too far. There wasn't any bridge that directly connected your actions to your destination. That is not the case now, as a kid playing in any club knows what he or she has to do to get to where they want. That was not the case in those days. And hence, I never dreamt of playing for the country," Chhetri was quoted by AIFF as saying.
Chhetri revealed that even a few days back he was not aware that he was on the verge of achieving the record of playing 150th Senior International match.
"When I started, it never occurred to me that I could play for the country one day. In fact, even a few days back, I was not aware that I was on the verge of such a record. When you pause and think about it, it's an unbelievable feat. I'm very fortunate, extremely thankful, and highly privileged to be in this state," he added.
Before the start of India's upcoming match against Afghanistan in Guwahati, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to felicitate Sunil Chhetri.
He first donned the Senior National Team jersey on June 12, 2005, in a friendly match against Pakistan in Quetta. He was India's scorer in the 1-1 draw. Since then, he has made 149 appearances for the National Team, netting a record 93 goals. A prolific goal-getter, Chhetri holds the unique record of scoring at least one goal in his first, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th and 125th match for the Blue Tigers. (ANI)