Who is Sunil Chhetri?
Sunil Chhetri Is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. He is known for his link-up play, goal scoring abilities, and leadership. He Is the third-highest international goalscorer among active players (fourth overall), behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and is also the most-capped player and the all-time top goalscorer of the India national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian footballers of all time. On 16 May 2024, Chhetri announced that he would retire from the Indian national team after their FIFA World Cup qualification match against Kuwait on 6 June 2024.
Wiki/Overview
| Full Name | Sunil Chhetri |
| Nickname | N/A |
| Profession | Footballer |
| Date of Birth | 3 August 1984 |
| Place of Birth | Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh |
| Age (as of 2024) | 39 |
| Father | K. B. Chhetri |
| Mother | Sushila Chhetri |
| Spouse | Sonam Bhattacharya |
| Education | Graduate |
| Alma Mater | Ashutosh College, Kolkata |
| Organization | N/A |
| Known for | As the captain of Indian Football Team |
| Residence | Andhra Pradesh |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Height | 5’7’ |
| Weight | 66 kgs |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Early life
Sunil Chhetri was born on 3 August 1984 in a Kshatriya family, K. B. Chhetri, an officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army, and Sushila Chhetri in Secunderabad, India. His father played football for the Indian Army football team while his mother and her twin sister played for the Nepal women’s national team.
Career
Chhetri began his professional career at Mohun Bagan in 2002, moving to JCT where he scored 21 goals in 48 games. Sunil was part of the Delhi team in the 59th edition of Santosh trophy held at Delhi. He scored 6 goals in t”at tournament including a hat-trick against Gujarat. Delhi lost to Kerala in the quarter finals and he scored in that match too. He signed for Major League Soccer side the Kansas City Wizards in 2010, becoming the third player from the subcontinent of note to go abroad. He returned to India’s I-League where he played for Chirag United and Mohun Bagan before going back abroad to Sporting CP of the Primeira Liga, where he played for the club’s reserve side. Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, and 2021 SAFF Championship. He has also helped India win the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which qualified them to their first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years, scoring twice in the final tournament in 2011. Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year a record six times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018–19. Chhetri received the Arjuna Award in 2011 for his outstanding sporting achievement, the Padma Shri award in 2019, India’s fourth highest civilian award. In 2021, he received the Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour and became the first footballer to receive the award. On 16 May 2024, Chhetri announced that he would retire from the Indian national team after their FIFA World Cup qualification match against Kuwait on 6 June 2024.
Family and Affairs
On 4 December 2017, Chhetri married his long time girlfriend Sonam Bhattacharya who is the daughter of former Indian international and Mohun Bagan player Subrata Bhattacharya.
Achievements
2011 – Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in sports.
2019 − Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.
2021 – Khel Ratna Award, highest sporting honour of India.
Records
First Indian player to have played in three different continents
Most appearances for India (150)
Most international goals by an Indian (94)
Most hat-tricks for India (4)
Most goals for India in AFC Competitions (19)
All-time top goal scorer in SAFF Championship (23)
Most number of matches played by an Indian in AFC Cup (40)
Most number of goals scored by an Indian in AFC Cup (19)
Most goals by an Indian in first tier Indian football leagues (147)
First Indian player to score hat-trick in Indian Super League
Most hat-tricks by an Indian in Indian Super League (2)
Top Indian goal scorer in Indian Super League (60)
Top Indian goal scorer in I-League (94)
All-time top goal scorer in the Super Cup (9)
Most number of matches played for Bengaluru (276)
Most number of goals scored for Bengaluru (122)
First footballer to receive Khel Ratna Award
AIFF Player of the Year for a record seven times
Appearence
Sunil Chhetri has height of 5’7” inches.
Money Factor
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Salary / Income | N/A |
Trivia & Fact
- His parents were from Nepal, but later they got migrated to India.
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