India, Nov. 6 -- The whole jazz about the comeback and retirement again - his words - is not something Sunil Chhetri regrets. Even though he scored once in six matches in between.

"I have been in football long enough to know this could happen. I went back completely for myself. And I know I gave my best," he told HT on Thursday. "What I am bitter about is that India could not qualify (for the 2027 Asian Cup finals)."

After some time it will not matter who played in the qualifying campaign. "In 2015 we didn't qualify; you can't name the starting 11, can you? But that was what we were talking about then, blaming all the players including myself."

Chhetri's interview on a video call on Thursday was his first after telling India head coach...