Indian football skipper Sunil Chhetri tests positive for coronavirus

Indian football skipper Sunil Chhetri has tested positive for the coronavirus which has ruled him out of the international fixture against Oman on March 25th. He may also miss the friendly match against the United Arab Emirates on March 29th. The star striker broke the news via social media post and informed that he’s doing fine.

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“In a not-so-happy update, I’ve tested positive for COVID-19. In better news, I feel fine as I continue my recovery from the virus and should be back on a football pitch soon,” Chhetri wrote on his Twitter handle. “No better time to keep reminding everyone to continue taking all the safety precautions always.”

The Bengaluru FC star was part of the Indian Super League that was played in the biosecure bubble in Goa. He played his last game on 25th February as Bengaluru FC failed to make it to the playoffs of the ISL. They ended their campaign with five wins, seven draws and eight losses. Chettri, the second-highest goalscorer in International football among active players ended the season with 8 goals in 20 matches. The Indian team is set to gather at a preparatory camp in Dubai from March 15 as a part of the preparations for their fixtures against Oman and UAE. However, Chettri is unlikely to join the camp.

India’s last international match was against Afghanistan which they played in November 2019, in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. India failed to reach the second leg of the qualifiers and are scheduled to play two home matches against Qatar and Afghanistan, and one away game against Bangladesh.