Home
India's talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri openly acknowledges that their group opponents Australia and Uzbekistan, are of a higher quality than his team. However, he sees the upcoming Asian Cup matches against these formidable opponents as a benchmark to gauge India's level of play.
Placed in Group B of the continental showpiece, India are scheduled to play against Australia on January 13, followed by matches against Uzbekistan on January 18 and Syria on January 23. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-place teams from the six groups, will advance to the knockout stage.
“It’s a massive tournament for us, purely because we get to rub shoulders with the best in Asia. Teams like Australia and Uzbekistan are probably of the World Cup level, so you can test yourself against them,” Chhetri said.
“What is sure is that we have improved in the last seven-eight years. But then you play them and you see how far you are, and how the tempo of the game is. It’s just important to play your best, and generally it’s a good marker for the nation to test where we are."
The 39-year-old Chhetri, participating in his third Asian Cup, was part of the team that suffered a 0-4 defeat to Australia in the group stage of the 2011 edition, which was also held in Doha. He said that the team is now better prepared.
“We did not have much knowledge of the Australian team back then. Not when compared to the minute details we have now. We’ve watched their friendlies against Palestine and Bahrain, we know which leagues their players are in, and individual clips on them,” said Chhetri.
“With this familiarity, the fear factor goes out. I must admit, of course, that they are extremely good. They’re a couple of levels above than what we play in the ISL, but at least we know what we’re up against.”
It's crucial not to look too far ahead but to focus on each game, said Chhetri, who also captained the team in the 2019 edition in the UAE, where India did not progress beyond the group stage.
“We will take it one game at a time and try to give a good account of ourselves. We will prepare as much as possible, gather as much knowledge as we possibly can, and then act according to that,” he said.
While Chhetri has found the net four times in his six appearances at the Asian Cup, this edition holds a distinct significance for him. India, now ranked 11th, are more experienced and mature. Additionally, Chhetri, who became a father last year, acknowledges that while it may not have altered his perspective on football, it has certainly influenced his outlook on life.
“I’m so much happier and calmer now. It’s like I’ve had a different responsibility and purpose ever since I became a father, it’s something that I can’t explain,” he said.
“I had a chat with my wife about the Asian Cup and the World Cup Qualifiers against Afghanistan later, and it seemed to her that I was taking too much pressure with these matches.”
“She told me to just go out there and enjoy. That’s the way I want to play, whatever time I have left with the national team." Chhetri has played 145 matches for India since making his debut in 2005 against Pakistan in Quetta and has scored 93 goals so far.”
(Powered by AI, Inputs by PTI)
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
