Would be great to play Asian Cup at home, I'm hitting my peak: Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri says the side would love to play the AFC Asian Cup on home soil with the star forward confessing to "hitting my peak" at 37. A near-capacity crowd at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata witnessed the Indian national football team qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals in style, beating Hong Kong 4-0 on Tuesday night. Impressed by the huge turnout for their last qualifying game despite heavy rains, Chhetri expressed his desire to play the finals in India.

Read AlsoAnwar Ali among scorers as India rout Hong Kong 4-0 to top group

Told to hang up his boots after a medical condition, Anwar Ali's persistence and optimism in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds paid rich dividends on Tuesday.

"The kind of form we are in, we would have loved to play at home. The way the fans are coming up and supporting us in numbers, it would be great to play here," said Chhetri after India secured a second straight qualification to the Asian Cup for the first time in history. China, where the Asian Cup finals were scheduled next year, had withdrawn as hosts keeping the fluid Covid-19 situation in the country. India defeated Cambodia and Afghanistan before securing a convincing win over Hong Kong in Group D of the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. All matches were played at the Salt Lake Stadium, where India were playing for the first time in over two years.

Read AlsoI laugh when media asks about Sunil Chhetri's retirement: IM Vijayan

The legendary IM Vijayan feels veteran striker Sunil Chhetri still has a lot to offer to Indian football and finds the occasional chatter about his retirement laughable.

Chhetri praised the rise of youngsters in the national team over the course of the three-match campaign. "The