Sunil Chhetri reverses retirement - Why did the striker return and where does he fit in Manolo Marquez’s plans? (2025)

India’s most prolific goalscorer, Sunil Chhetri, came out of international retirement to play in the March international window on Thursday.

He will play in a friendly against Maldives (March 19), followed by the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh (March 25).

The need for a dependable centre-forward has been imminent after India’s winless run of five games since Chhetri hung up his boots. It drew with Mauritius, Vietnam and Malaysia, also losing the Intercontinental Cup title to Syria.

The Blue Tigers played with eight different strikers since Chhetri’s retirement – Manvir Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Farukh Choudhary, Liston Colaco, Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad and Sahal Abdul Samad.

Only two of them – Yadwad (Chennaiyin FC, ISL, 9 games) and Lalrindika (Inter Kashi, I-League, 7 games) – have regularly played as a centre-forward for their respective clubs while Farukh is the only striker to have scored a goal in the post-Chhetri era.

Chhangte, whose data suggested he was Chhetri’s most probable successor last season, has looked nowhere close to his former self. He had 23 goal contributions for club and country (18 for Mumbai City – 11G, 7A and five for India – 3G, 2A) but has had just nine this season (eight for Mumbai City – 5G, 3A, one for India country – 1G).

READ | Full India squad for matches against Maldives, Bangladesh

Consistent goalscorer

Chhetri has been India’s most consistent scorer in the last 20 years, with 94 goals in 151 across 19 years of senior team experience.

At 40, he has 12 goals and two assists in 23 games for Bengaluru FC in India’s top flight.

He is the highest Indian scorer in the Indian Super League (ISL) and the second-highest overall this season. Only three Indians – Chhetri, Brison Fernandes and Subhasish Bose – feature in the top 20 goal-scorers and the former India captain is the only striker.

“There have been some great moments with some Indian strikers and attacking midfielders, but consistency is not there. So, we’ve not been able to say that a particular player is going to take Indian football forward,” Bhaichung Bhutia, former India captain, recently told Sportstar.

“The highest Indian scorer this year is also a 40-year-old man. So, yes, there’s a big gap but hopefully, in 2025, we might be able to see) that.”

Chhetri has also been a veteran against South Asian countries, winning the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Championship four times (2011, 2015, 2021, 2023), a record, and two more than Maldives, the second-most successful team in the tournament.

Against Maldives, he scored twice and assisted three more while he has five strikes and one assist against Bangladesh, making the next two matches the perfect opportunity for him to get back in India colours.

How can Chhetri fit into Marquez’s plans?

Chhetri’s age is 10 more than the threshold for old age in elite football around the world, and his body is not the same as it was a decade ago. While he may not be an all-action striker, he has transformed his game to become a fox-in-the-box.

The forward has scored seven non-penalty goals in the ISL so far, five of which have come off headers from set-piece situations. In fact, all his goals have come from inside the box, a testament to his positioning and efficiency in the 18-yard area.

Moreover, he has played primarily as a left winger and centre-forward for Bengaluru FC, giving head coach Manolo Marquez enough space to experiment with the No. 9 position if and when he wants, with Lalrindika and Yadwad waiting to come on.

Comparing the matches with and without Chhetri, it was evident that Marquez was already looking to play in a shape without a key striker.

In the match against Syria, he focussed on the No. 10 (attacking midfielders) playing as a false-9, something that Sahal did, with Manvir and Nandhakumar Sekar making runs along either flank.

Though the Blue Tigers lost that game 0-3, it had an xG of 2.28 in that match, more than any of its matches in 2024.

But with Chhetri back, India could shift to a 4-3-3 formation, a shape Bengaluru FC has played in most of the 2024-25 season.

Chhetri has been the Golden Boy of Indian football in the 21st century. And under another new head coach, it should be interesting to see how he fares with a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup up for grabs.

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