"Football has to resume soon" – Sunil Chhetri on ISL's indefinite postponement

Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri put out a heartfelt note amidst the uncertainty regarding the indefinite postponement of the country's top tier Indian Super League.

The 40-year-old Chhetri, who plays for Bengaluru FC, joked that he was happy at first as the pre-season was delayed by a fortnight but then termed the current situation "concerning."

"When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile," Chhetri wrote. "And that’s because I was on vacation, hadn’t moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn’t been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I had bargained to get in shape.

"That ‘fortnight’ has now changed to ‘indefinitely’ and that smile’s been wiped out. It began with worrying about how I am on borrowed time with what I have left in the tank. But speaking with players from across clubs, I’ve realised that my selfish problem isn’t as important.

"The current situation that Indian football finds itself in, is very concerning. I’ve received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs – not just from my club, but from other clubs as well. Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with," he further wrote.

Chhetri appealed to those who rely on the Indian Super League for their livelihood to stay calm and ensured that officials are working hard behind the scenes to get the league up and running soon.

"I know that the think tank and all those involved in running the sport are working to get the football season up and running, and I’m hopeful that there is a solid fix sooner rather than later," he wrote.

"I may not have all the answers, but my message to all those involved with Indian football – and more importantly the ones whose livelihood depends on it, the players, staff, kitmen, masseurs, medical teams, production crews, operations staff – please stay calm. We’ll ride this storm together. Stick together and look out for each other. Keep training and getting better. Football has to resume soon. It will," he added.

The Indian Super League was postponed indefinitely as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is yet to renew the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with the league's organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL).

A day after FSDL announced their decision of putting the 2025-26 season on hold, the AIFF stated a Supreme Court order as the reason behind the delay in renewing the agreement.

The Indian Super League MRA between AIFF and FSDL is all set to cease in December later this year. The 2025-26 season would well be three months in by then and hence FSDL pulled the plug.