NEW DELHI: Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian football team, stated on Friday that he made the instinctual choice to retire following the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait next month and that he would prefer to enjoy a "sabbatical" after finishing his domestic circuit commitments.
After the June 6 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait, Chhetri, 39, announced his decision to retire from international football. This marked the end of a 19-year career that saw him rise to the top of India's goal-scoring chart with 94 goals.