Twin motivation: Chhetri says he loves soccer and enjoying for the nation.| Photo Credit: Ok. MURALI KUMAR

Sunil Chhetri’s retirement, like M.S. Dhoni’s from the IPL, is among the many most mentioned news tales. But such is the radiance the 38-year-old emits even within the autumn of his sporting life that every one discuss of his profession winding up principally die a fast loss of life.

On Friday, forward of the SAFF Championship semifinal towards Lebanon, when a scribe requested him if this match could possibly be his final nationwide group outing in his beloved metropolis of Bengaluru, Chhetri’s first response was: “Wow!”

“I have no idea when my last game for the country will be,” Chhetri went on. “I have never had long-term targets. I think about the next 10 days, the next match and the next training session.

“There are some parameters...whether I am contributing to the team, whether I am able to sprint with Udanta [Singh], whether I am going for headers with Sandesh [Jhingan]... the day I see that these are not there, I am gone.

“There are just two motivations for me to play — I love football and I love playing for the country. The fame, the money don’t impress me,” he added.

What additionally drives Chhetri might be the prospect to cap his stellar profession with a superb efficiency on the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

The SAFF Championship, with West Asian sides Kuwait and Lebanon in it, might help India choose a core and crystallise a enjoying philosophy for the marquee match.

“We are gelling well,” Chhetri stated. “When you play Lebanon and Kuwait, you get an idea of how Syria, Uzbekistan [Asian Cup opponents] are.

“We will be meeting Australia but until then we will be playing the ISL. With due respect to the ISL, we might not face the same tempo and standard Australia will bring.

“That’s why I am really happy that the likes of Kuwait and Lebanon came. These matches give you a different challenge.”