Sunil Chhetri has no doubts about his successors - “Others are ready to take my place”

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Since Sunil Chhetri announced his retirement from international football, the biggest question in every Indian football fan’s mind has been - 'who will be the next number nine for the Indian national team?’ The legendary Indian football captain will undoubtedly be leaving behind a void that will be difficult to fill.

This is not to say that the Indian football team doesn't have some good strikers in their arsenal. However, Chhetri’s shoes may be too big to fill. Yet, the captain himself has no qualms that his teammates are ready. He expressed confidence in his teammates, stating that they are eager to take his place.

During the India vs Kuwait pre-match press conference, the captain said, “They can’t wait for me to leave and are licking their lips. Players like Manvir and others are ready to take my place. They have said, “ek baar apne bol diya, ab wapas maat ao [Don’t come back, because you have already claimed that you are retiring].”

The question of less and less numbers of Indian strikers was eating away at everyone even before Chhetri announced his retirement. The captain talked about it before and he believes that it is time for the country to find the next number nine.

However, he cited that it is a matter of concern since the current Indian forwards do not play as main strikers for their clubs. There are several promising contenders, like Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Vikram Partap Singh, Rahim Ali, and more. Some of them have already caught the eye of fans and coaches alike.

Vikram Partap Singh has played alongside Chhetri as the striker a few times. Chhangte stepped up for Mumbai City FC last season as one of their most reliable strikers. Whereas, Manvir Singh is a regular starter at Mohun Bagan as a winger. He was involved in 16 goals last season for the Mariners.