Sunil Chhetri’s international career came to a bittersweet end as India played a goalless draw against Kuwait. In an encounter that had high stakes, India had opportunities to score but they were sloppy in front of a jam-packed Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Chhetri retires with 94 goals from 151 international caps. He is the third-highest goal-scorer among current players.
India are in second place in the group A of FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Qualifiers. They will face Qatar in Qatar without Chhetri on June 11.
Plenty opportunities, no goals
The first-half saw a flurry of activities, with both teams creating chances but failing to find the back of the net. But the action on the field kept the fans on the edge of their seats as they kept screaming "Sunil, Sunil", "Vande Mataram".
Kuwait's best chance of the first-half came in the fourth minute when Eid Al-Rashidi threaded a perfect through ball to Daham, who surged past Nikhil Poojary. Mohammad Daham's effort was denied by a crucial save from the Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. In the 11th minute, India responded as Liston Colaco surged from the left wing, sending in a low cross as all eyes focused on Chhetri's 95th goal. But Hasan Alanezi's sliding clearance thwarted the Indian captain's attempt.
From the ensuing corner, Anwar Ali's header just missed the target, much to the crowd's anticipation. Al-Rashidi latched onto a chipped pass from Al-Harbi, but his attempted chip over Gurpreet sailed over the bar.
In the 25th minute, the debutant Jay Gupta was in thick of action. Gupta delivered a sublime low cross from the left, but the Kuwait defense cleared it for a corner. India failed to utilise a freekick in the 28th minute when Poojary showcased his skills with a superb run down the right wing, nutmegging a defender before being brought down. Thapa’s delivery, however, didn’t yield a goal. Just at the halfway mark, Thapa sent a fantastic ball into the box, which Kuwait could only clear to deny Sahal Abdul Samad. His left-footed shot was blocked, and the rebound fell to Liston Colaco, who fired a low strike into the side netting from a narrow angle.
Kuwait, frustrated by Gupta's defensive efforts, switched play from the right to the left, only for the move to end with the ball going out of play. Igor Stimac made a bold move by shuffling their attacking lineup, introducing Rahim Ali up front with Brandon Fernandes and Chheri behind him. But it failed to yield the desired result as he failed to convert his chances.
In the 47th minute, Faisal Al-Harbi tested Gurpreet with a low volley, but India's custodian stood firm. A minute later, Rahim found himself one-on-one with the Kuwait keeper Sulaiman Abdulghafor, but couldn't convert.
Lucky break, tense finish
Despite India's openness at the back, Gurpreet's brilliance denied Kuwait's Rashidi just moments later. As India asserted dominance, Kuwait's frustration peaked in the 74th minute with a denied penalty claim, incensing players and bench alike. Replays suggested a foul, but the Chinese referee Fu Ming deemed otherwise.
Tempers flared up to a mini-brawl after a challenge on Indian debutant Edmund, leading to a confrontation between him and Sultan Alenezi, both receiving yellow cards. Amid the tension, Edmund rallied the crowd's support with a free-kick opportunity, but Brandon Fernandes' atrocious delivery meant India's last hope for a win went up in smoke in the added seven minutes.
Chhetri thanks fans
"The ones who have watched in videos, the ones who have taken autographs, the ones.. the old-time supporters, thank you everyone. These 19 years would not have been possible without each and everyone of you and I genuinely mean it," Chhetri said on an emotional night.
"For everyone who is here, thank you so much. I think I will speak from my heart," he added before breaking into bengali, "shobai bhalo thakben, shobai khushi thakben (everyone please take care, please be happy), and thank you, thank you so much."
(With PTI inputs)
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