Sunil Chhetri will be one of the oldest, as well as highest capped international players heading into the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The Indian skipper has donned the Blue shirt 145 times, ranking him third in terms of the most international appearances behind Hassan Al-Haydos of Qatar (175) and Bahrain goalie Sayed Mohammed Jaffer (181).

Aged 39, it could be the last time the iconic forward features at a continental tournament. Fans are aware of Chhetri potentially calling time on his international career soon, and welcomed the star in numbers when the team arrived in Doha.

Sunil Chhetri a massive draw for AFC Asian Cup 2023 says CEO

As per organising committee CEO Jassim Abdulaziz Al Jassim, Sunil Chhetri is one of the main reasons why people are buying tickets to see India’s matches in numbers. This year marks the first time that India will be competing in the AFC Asian Cup for two straight seasons.

And after registering the highest number of visitors for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, a massive supporter’s base could cheer the team on in Doha.

The Indian national team will begin their campaign against Australia in what will be a huge opening fixture for the Blue Tigers. They will be joined by Trevor Sinclair in the coaching staff alongside head coach Igor Stimac as recently announced.