Imagine Indian cricket without Sachin Tendulkar or the Indian Premier League with no Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Hard to digest, isn't it? However, that's what has happened with India in football.
At a time when Indian football, immensely popular at one point of time but now confined to a few pockets of the country, is taking a giant leap to what probably is its best moment ever, the absence of Sunil Chhetri from the Indian Super League has raised many eyebrows.
Chhetri, the poster boy and indisputably the most popular face of Indian football after Baichung Bhutia, is amongst few of the conspicuous absentees from the inaugural edition of the league, other than striker Robin Singh and goalkeeper Karanjit Singh.
The national record holder for most international goals, Chhetri was barred by his club and current I-League champions Bengaluru FC to take part in the ISL.
In an exclusive conversation with IBNLive Sports, the captain of Indian football team reveals his thoughts on the ISL and also why he doesn't have any regrets of not playing in the glitzy, cash-rich league.
The Indian Super League, in its short span of existence, has gained much attention not only in India but all over the world. All the matches have managed to attract a sizeable crowd. Your thoughts on the fantastic start of ISL.
From what I have been reading and seeing, the League has been generating a great buzz. You have big names like Del Piero, Trezeguet and Anelka taking the pitch. That apart, the stadiums are almost always full, games are flood-lit and I've heard the facilities are family friendly and the media has responded well too.
Are you disappointed at not being able to take part in the inaugural season of the ISL? Are you looking to play in the next edition?
I am under contract with my current club Bengaluru FC [BFC] and as it stands I belong to them. What will happen ahead is something I am not thinking about at all. I had a brilliant last season with BFC where I finished top scorer of the League, won the title and qualified for the AFC [Asian Football Confederation] Cup. BFC functions in a way no other club does and there's absolutely no regret or thought. What I did miss was playing in competitive games. But now with the Durand Cup, that wait has also ended.
A lot of Indian national players are regularly getting a chance to play alongside some of the all-time greats of world football. Being the captain of the Indian football team and one of country's best footballers, how much do you think the ISL would benefit Indian footballers?
It will benefit a lot. Training with them [international stars], watching them, being with them and sharing the same locker room helps you a lot. You learn a lot. Also, what is more important is the kind of experienced managers guiding the boys. There's lots to learn.
What are your thoughts on the quality of football in ISL? Is it better than the I-League?
Really can't comment on that. It's still early days to be able to draw comparisons.
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