Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday praised Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri, who bid adieu to football in the FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait at the Salt Lake Stadium here. Tendulkar, who holds the record for most runs scored by a player in international cricket, hailed Chhetri for scoring 94 international goals.

“No goal is easy to achieve. Let alone 94 international ones.

Advertisement

“You’ve held the flag high, Sunil Chhetri. Congratulations on a remarkable career!” Tendulkar wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, Chhetri was felicitated post-match by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.

India were held goalless by Kuwait at home in Chhetri’s farewell game, a second-round Group A match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifier here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), leaving them to beat Qatar in a must-win away game on June 11.

Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari, UYSM, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, presented a sparklingly impressive memento to Sunil while paying rich tribute to his contribution to the sport. He was accompanied by Lt. Gen. Srikanth, VSM. Chief of Staff HQ, Eastern Command, and Maj Gen Rajesh Arun Moghe, VSM. GOC Bengal Sub Area.

Lt. Gen. Tiwari elucidated the retiring Indian legend’s long relationship with the Army stating, “Sunil has always embodied the values of a professional soldier, fighting for his country till the very end and against all odds. Athletes like him are a role model for the youth of this country and the Indian Army is proud of its long association with such a legend of football. Son of an Army man, Sunil has made the entire Army fraternity proud with his attitude, commitment, and dedication in a long and memorable career. We wish him a most fulfilling life after he is done playing the game.”

With 94 international goals, Chhetri was the highest international goal scorer playing actively, has had the backing and support of the Indian Army all along his journey towards becoming a professional footballer.

His father, K. B. Chhetri, was an officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army and he picked up the game in the Army Public School in Delhi. Thereafter he joined the City Football Club for whom he played the Durand Cup in the 2001-02 season. Although his team did not progress much, Sunil played all the games and also scored a goal, which saw him get his first big break with the legendary Mohun Bagan Club of Kolkata.

The Army had planned and celebrated the whole occasion in a manner befitting a legend. A combined pipe band of the 14th and 15th Battalions of the Bihar regiment of the Indian Army played the welcome tribute segment to Sunil Chhetri. The 2.5-minute tune was composed by Bir Nepali. Then when Sunil finally exited the stadium, he was escorted out by two bagpipers playing a tune by Auld Lang Syne.

The memento was in the form of a trophy, resembling the number 11 Chhetri Jersey in a celebratory pose. It is inspired by the career of Sunil who carried the hopes of the tri-colour for 19 years on his shoulders. The number 11 and Chhetri in the Indian jersey blue shall be ingrained in Indian football history celebrating him.

The Eastern Command, under the aegis of the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS), which is overseen by the Chief of Defence Staff as its President and the three Service Chiefs as its Vice Presidents, organises the famous Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament.