Sunil Chettri, Indian Football Captain, To Retire After Next Match, Virat Kohli Shares "Proud" Message

Indian football icon Sunil Chettri, who led the national team for over a decade, gave his everything to the game and made the sport popular in a nation where Cricket is a religion. In his glittering career spanning over 20 years, Sunil Chettri raised the head of the game, added several feathers is his hat, and garnered a large number of followers.

He fought, performed, and even cried to get support for the sport. And his hard work paid off. Today, football is a loved sport in India too. However, many gray areas in football still need financial and fans' emotional support, but Chettri-led Indian Football has come a real long way and he succeeded in earning loyal football fans across the country.

Today, on May 16, Sunil Chettri, through an emotional video post on social media sites X and Instagram, announced that he will bid adieu to international football after the next match. India is scheduled to play against Kuwait on June 6 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier.

Soon after Sunil Chettri's video went viral, wishes from around the world started to pour in. Among several heart-touching messages and good luck wishes to Sunil Chettri for his last game, former Indian captain Virat Kohli's comment created a buzz on the internet.

Calling Sunil Chettri 'brother', Virat Kohli expressed the feeling that the entire country is 'proud' of India's football caption.

"My Brother, PROUD": Virat Kohli said putting a heart emoji along.

Earlier also, Virat Kohli and Sunil Chettri shared some light moments while enjoying cricket and football games. Virat had also presented an RCB jersey to Chettri.

Sunil Chettri represented India on 145 occasions and hit the nets 94 times.