India head coach Manolo Marquez made a surprise inclusion when he named striker Sunil Chhetri, who had retired from internationals last June, in the squad for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, on Thursday.
Chhetri, 40, had called it quits with the national team after nearly two decades, playing his final game under the former head coach Igor Stimac.
Marquez explained that the team’s need for goals up front forced him to call upon the former India captain to reverse his retirement.
“We are in a competition that we need to win and we need to score goals. Be it in open play or through set-pieces. In the four games under me, we have scored two goals and we need to score (more),” explained the Spaniard.
Chhetri is in the midst of his best scoring campaign in the Indian Super League (ISL) in six seasons with 12 goals in 23 matches. The Bengaluru FC forward is second in the goal-scoring charts and is the top-scoring Indian player.
“If you look at the ISL, then Sunil Chhetri is the top Indian goalscorer, followed by Brison Fernandes and Subhasish Bose. This is the national team and we need players who can play well immediately,” he added.
The 56-year-old stressed the need for results in the immediate future as India aims for Asian Cup qualification for a third straight time.
“I have always maintained that the players that will play in the national team in the coming years are most important but the national team needs results. At this moment, Chhetri is the best Indian striker. I think there is no doubt,” he said.
Chhetri has 94 goals in 151 appearances for the Indian team and will likely make his return against Maldives on March 19 before the Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh on March 25.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com