'Captain, hero, legend': Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar hail footballer Sunil Chettri on his international retirement
Members of the film industry including Ranveer Singh and Farha Akhtar showered love on Indian Football Team skipper Sunil Chhetri as he played his final international match with the Blue Tigers last evening.
Sunil Chhetri (ANI)
KOLKATA: Members of the film industry including Ranveer Singh and Farha Akhtar showered love on Indian Football Team skipper Sunil Chhetri as he played his final international match with the Blue Tigers last evening.
Posting an image of Chhetri donning his Jersey number 11, Ranveer took to Instagram and wrote, " Captain, Hero, Legend @chetri_sunil11 thank you for everything."
Farhan thanked Chhetri for "flying the flag of Indian football and your undeniable contribution to the beautiful game."
"Good luck with everything to follow," he added.
Abhishek Bachchan also extended his best wishes to Chhetri.
"Congratulations Cap on such a Legendary career! It has been an honour to see you play for the country and lead by example. To one of the greatest ever Indian sportsmen..... Thank you," he wrote on X.
Chhetri kicked off his professional football journey at Mohun Bagan in 2002. Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023 SAFF Championship. He also led India to victory in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which helped India qualify for its first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years.
In a career that spanned over 19 years, the Arjuna Award winner has 94 goals in 150 matches on the international stage. The most-capped Indian footballer is the fourth-highest goal-scorer on the global stage with icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ahead of him.
The Indian captain received the Arjuna Award in 2011, and the Padma Shri in 2019. In 2021, he became the first footballer to get the Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour.
