Indian football team skipper Sunil Chhetri's wife Sonam Bhattacharya has given birth to a baby boy as reports state that it happened in a nursing home in Bengaluru on Wednesday at 11 am. However, the boy's name is not known yet and the details are likely to emerge in the coming months.
The 39-year-old had surprised fans when he announced his wife's pregnancy during the Intercontinental Cup 2023 in the second week of June. After scoring the winning goal, Chhetri placed the ball inside his jersey, displaying the heartwarming baby celebration. The moment was captured by the cameras and the clip went viral.
In a post-match interview, the veteran footballer announced saying, "Me and my wife are expecting a baby, I would like to share this with the whole world."
Sunil Chhetri rested from India's King's Cup squad:
Meanwhile, the Indian football team will be bereft of Sunil Chhetri in the upcoming King's Cup, set to be played in Thailand from September 7th-10th. Hence, forward player Manvir Singh will be leading in the regular captain's absence.
Their head coach Igor Stimac announced a 23-member squad for the 49th edition of the tournament. The tournament is a four-nation one and India, ranked 99th, will face Iraq (ranked 70th) in the semi-final on September 7th. Home side Thailand (ranked 113th) will lock horns with Lebanon (ranked 100th) on the same day in the 2nd semi-final.
While Chhetri will not play in King's Cup, he will join the squad for the Asian Games.
India's squad for King's Cup 2023:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh.
Defenders: Asish Rai, Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Brandon Fernandes, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte.
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Rahul KP.
Head coach: Igor Stimac.
