The news of Sunil Chhetri, the iconic Indian football captain and prolific scorer, coming out of international retirement at 40 years, has been received with a note of contempt over the last few days.

However, the national team’s Spanish head coach Manolo Marquez justified the move by saying that the talismanic figure is still in good shape by being the top scorer in the Indian Super League (ISL) in the 2024–25 season.

“We are in a competition that we need to win and we need to score goals. Be it in open play or through set pieces. In the four games under me, we have scored two goals and we need to score (more),” said Marquez as Chhetri was named in the squad for India’s 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

The Blue Tigers, who have been winless under Marquez so far, return to action in the March international window with a friendly game against the Maldives before facing Bangladesh in the first game of the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. Incidentally, Bangladesh are likely to be boosted by the arrival of Hamza Chowdhury, a 27-year-old midfielder who plies his trade in the English Premier League and was cleared to play for his country of birth in December 2024.

Speaking to the media after FC Goa — the ISL team which Marquez helmed along with the national team — slumped to a 2–0 loss to Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Saturday, 8 March, Marquez said: “If you look at the ISL then Sunil Chhetri is the top Indian goalscorer, followed by Brison Fernandes and Subhasish Bose. This is the national team and we need players who can play well immediately.”

The 56-year-old emphasised the importance of grooming younger players through the junior national team but felt his side needed to produce results in order to ensure qualification for the AFC Asian Cup for a third straight time.

“I have always maintained that the players that will play in the national team in the coming years are most important but the national team needs results. At this moment, Chhetri is the best Indian striker. I think there is no doubt,” Marquez argued — logic that will not go down well with the Indian football fan.

It was in June last year that Chhetri — third on the list of all-time high scorers in active international football with 94 goals — was given an emotional send-off by over 50,000 fans after a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait.

The Indian team also saw a regime change soon after when the All India Football Federation (AIFF) sacked , their coach for five years, and replaced him with Marquez.

The change has not quite produced the desired the results — and former footballers have blasted the decision to recall Chhetri, saying that it reflected poorly on the pipeline of talent in the country’s football system.

“It’s wonderful for Sunil to come back and play for India. But overall, for Indian football’s development, it’s definitely not a good sign. You’re still relying on a 40-year-old to come back and bail you out,” former captain Baichung Bhutia said in .