SAFF Championship 2023: Ahead of India vs Pakistan Match, Sunil Chhetri Says 'Losing is Never an Option Against Them'

Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri scored the opening goal in the Intercontinental Cup final against Lebanon recently and the skipper is raring to go against Pakistan for the SAFF Championship 2023.

The Blue Tigers are set to kick-start their campaign against neighbours Pakistan on June 21 and ahead of the high-octane clash, Chettri opened up on the equation between the two sets of players.

The 38-year-old revealed that India and Pakistan players are all ‘hunky dory’ with each other off the field. Sunil also revealed that the Pakistan team speak Punjabi, similar to the Indian side, but once the whistle goes off, both sets of players become competitive.

“Before the Pakistan match, whenever we met the boys, it was all hunky dory. Even when I was in Pakistan once or twice we’ve played here and there we were all fine and friendly. We are all nice, they speak Punjabi, we speak Punjabi, the moment the whistle blows I don’t know what happens,” Chettri said in a video shared by the official Instagram handle of the Indian Super League (ISL).

The captain, leader, and legend of the Indian football team, who is the third-highest goal-scorer in international football among active players, behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi revealed what it’s like when Indian players take to the field against Pakistan.

“It’s by default, just the sense of anyone but them. Maybe it’s ingrained in our upbringing as Indians and I’m pretty sure they will say the same thing. The hostility, the fact that we don’t want to lose against them comes in,” said Sunil.

India defeated Lebanon 2-0 in the final of Intercontinental Cup 2023 with Sunil and Lallianzuala Chhangte on the scoresheet against a Lebanese side who are above the Blue Tigers in FIFA rankings.

The match against Pakistan in the SAFF Championship will be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru with the two neighbours having been drawn in Group A, alongside Nepal and Kuwait.

India are the defending champions having won their 8th title and they will be looking to win a record-extending ninth SAFF Championship this season.