Talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri pleasantly surprised fans when he announced his wife's pregnancy in a unique manner after scoring his 86th international goal and leading the Indian team to the Intercontinental Cup 2023 final with a 1-0 win over Vanuatu at the Kalinga Stadium. It was perhaps a rather difficult Monday night for the Blue Tigers, but India eventually ended with three points in their kitty.
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India was overwhelmingly dominant in the match, keeping 61 percent possession, with 23 shots to Vanuatu's three. The hosts were lacking penetration in the final third and managed to register only two shots on target. However, Sunil stepped up to the plate in the hour of need, smashing home a cross by Subhasish Bose, in what would be his 86th goal in international football.
Of all that he has scored, perhaps this is the one that would hold special significance for India's number 11, who sent a big message to the fans with his celebrations. A picture of calm, Sunil quietly collected the ball after putting India in the lead and proceeded to tuck it under his shirt in a loving gesture to his wife Sonam.
"This is the way she wanted to announce it. So, this is for her and for our baby. I generally thought there would be different ways to announce it and to share the happiness with everyone and share their blessings, but the cliche holds it way. I had to do it," said Sunil after the match. "I just hope that we get everyone's blessings. That was the whole point," he added.
The Blue Tigers, who had already beaten Mongolia 2-0 in their first match of the Intercontinental Cup, secured their berth in the final of the competition with a win against Vanuatu. They have one more match remaining against Lebanon (June 15), before the final on June 18. India will play Lebanon in their last match of the Intercontinental Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on June 15.