Why Sunil Chhetri is not selected in Indian team?

After an emotional farewell at the Salt Lake Stadium against Kuwait, Sunil Chhetri decided to bid adieu to international football. The captain, leader, legend who made the nation proud on several occasions and has single-handedly carried the burden of the nation, left the pitch teary-eyed. Little did people know that the Blue Tigers would desperately need Chhetri back in the national team ahead of a crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier.

However, a shocking update raised a lot of eyebrows after Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri's name was missing from the national team list of probables despite many players making a comeback to the squad like Akash Mishra, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Jeakson Singh and Rahim Ali.

The exclusion of Chhetri in Khalid Jamil's first assignment as the national team head coach could have multiple reasons. Let's find out the possible reasons why Chhetri must have been dropped from the squad.

Khalid Jamil eyes a strategic reset

Chhetri indeed is 41, and the national team desperately needs someone to step in. Not many coaches like Igor or Manolo Marquez had the audacity to exclude Chhetri and find a better alternative. Khalid Jamil is believed to be someone who has never been afraid to take bold calls for the team. Under Khalid, many young strikers like Mohammad Sanan and Manvir Singh performed decently at Jamshedpur FC.

Khalid has preferred players like Manvir Singh, Jithin MS, Rahim Ali and Irfan Yadvad in his probable list, and this might be a strategic hint to reduce the overdependence on Chhetri and give ample opportunities to find India's next Sunil Chhetri.

A plan to keep Chhetri fit for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers?

There is no slightest hesitation in admitting that Sunil Chhetri, even after coming out of retirement, has been one of the most impactful players for the Blue Tigers in games against Thailand and Hong Kong. Just weeks after the CAFA Nations Cup, India will vie against Hong Kong in the AFC Qualifier fixture. India is jointly at the bottom of the table, and anything other than a win could prove detrimental to India's hope of making it to Saudi Arabia in 2027 for the AFC Asian Cup. Amidst a growing workload, Khalid possibly considered resting Chhetri and testing his bench strength and other options, as the CAFA Nations Cup presents a golden opportunity for the Indian team's gaffer to assess his strengths and weaknesses.