The legendary footballer Sunil Chhetri revealed his post-retirement life and his struggles as a parent after welcoming a son with his wife Sonam Bhattacharya last year. Chhetri also shed some light on his good friend and Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli and how both are handling their fatherhood.
Chhetri and Kohli, the two biggest names in Indian sports, welcomed babies in the last 12 months and are also playing professionally. Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is after the T20 World Cup 2024 in June while Chhetri said a farewell to international football in the same month.
When asked about his recent discussions with Kohli, the 40-year-old Bengaluru FC veteran said they both are enjoying their fatherhood with new kids but never speak about retirement stuff.
"We talk a lot about what's happening now, " Sunil Chhetri told PTI. "We talk a lot about different things that sports provide us. We talk a lot about kids, that's a common topic now.
"A lot of diapers, a lot of fun stuff, a lot of crawling. But we haven't talked yet about post-retirement stuff, to be very honest. We talk a lot, but the talks are more about the kids right now and the present scenario, not about what's going to happen after retirement."
Chhetri stays connected to football as he continues to set records in the ongoing Indian Super League. The veteran forward has been in superb form this season with three goals and one assist for the Bengaluru FC in the ISL 2024 and shattered the record for most goals in the tournament history.
However, he asked media persons to stop asking him about his thoughts on leaving international football and said he would talk about it properly in the future.
"Why are you asking me difficult questions, man? It's not been nice, I miss it," Chhetri added. "I've got six players from the national team at my club. They come back and tell me stories and I don't like it. I've told them, 'shut up, it's going to take time, I'm not cool with it yet'. The day I am, I'll speak to them properly and you too. But for now, don't remind me that I'm not a player of the national team."
