Sunil Chhetri heaps praise on Virat Kohli, says "He's genuinely somebody who's a nice guy"

New Delhi [India], December 8 : Former India footballer Sunil Chhetri showered praise on talisman cricketer Virat Kohli and said that he's genuinely a nice guy and can crack anyone up.
Chhetri and Kohli have a special and endearing relationship. Being two of the most prominent athletes in India, they have bonded by their extraordinary levels of fitness and love for both their nation and their respective sports.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Chhetri lauded Kohli and said that it's very rare nowadays to find someone like the Indian batter.
"Yeah, these are similarities. And I like him. He's genuinely somebody who's a nice guy. It's very rare nowadays to find someone who's genuinely nice. He's utterly funny. He can crack anyone up," Chhetri said.
The 40-year-old added that Kohli has a distinctly different personality when he is on the pitch. Chhetri also praised Kohli's longevity and the batter's run in between the wickets.
"When you see him on the pitch, on the ground, you see a distinctly different personality as compared to others. Look at his longevity. Look at the way he runs between the wickets. Look at the way he applies himself. Talent is one thing, but if he doesn't take care of himself, which he does tremendously well, he will not be able to do what he's doing. I mean, when did you see him last? not giving his best or not being fit. Making runs and not making runs is a different part," he added.
The former India footballer added that he and Kohli bonded well because of the other things they talk about apart from sports.
"We are always respectful with each other. Him and me, we bonded more because of the reasons that we talked about. But whenever I meet different sports personalities, the common bond is always there that we play sports, we play for the country. But it's not very often that we keep in touch. But me and Virat do because of other things that we talked about," he further added.
Earlier in 2024, Chhetri announced his retirement from the Indian National Team. His last game for the country was against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on June 6.
Sunil Chhetri kicked off his professional football journey at Mohun Bagan in 2002. Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023 SAFF Championship. He also led India to victory in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which helped India qualify for its first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years.
Chhetri received the Arjuna Award in 2011, and the Padma Shri in 2019. In 2021, he became the first footballer to get the Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour.
In a career that spanned over 19 years, the Arjuna Award winner has 94 goals in 150 matches on the international stage. Interestingly, Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri is fourth overall in the all-time international goal scorers' list. Chhetri played a major role in India's footballing fortunes in the last decade, earning legendary status in the nation's sporting history.