Double delight for Chhetri

Mumbai : Fans were there, Bhaichung Bhutia and IM Vijayan, the former captains of the Indian football team, were there, too. Delighted with the packed house, Skipper Sunil Chhetri made his 100th appearance for the country unforgettable as he scored a brace in 3-0 win over Kenya in their second match of the Intercontinental Cup here today.
Two days back, the 33-year-old Chhetri had made an emotional appeal to football lovers to come and support the Indian team, which is using this tournament as preparation for the 2019 Asian Cup. He uploaded a video on social media a day after he slammed a hat-trick in India’s 5-0 demolition of Chinese Taipei in the tournament opener, and found an instant support from the country’s top cricketers, including current captain Virat Kohli and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
His passionate plea clearly struck a chord with the football fans, and they thronged the stadium to cheer for the Men in Blue against Kenya. Chhetri, playing his 100th international game, was felicitated by former skippers Bhutia and Vijayan. He was also given a guard of honour by his teammates as his wife and parents watched from the stands.
“I never thought this would become so big. When you are representing the national team, you deserve an audience,” Chhetri said before the start of the game.