Why is Sunil Chhetri not in India's lineup for King's Cup 2023 semifinal clash against Iraq?

The Indian men's national team is gearing up to lock horns with Iraq in the semifinals of the King's Cup 2023 in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Thursday, September 7.

However, Igor Stimac will have a major headache ahead of the all-important clash as the Blue Tigers have to make do without their talismanic forward Sunil Chhetri, who is not available for selection.

Chhetri and his wife, Sonam Bhattacharya, welcomed their first child a week ago. The 39-year-old requested to be excused from the national team duties to spend more time with his family and the newborn.

Stimac honored his request, meaning the veteran striker was not included in India's squad for the King's Cup. It's also a deserved time off for Chhetri given the flurry of club and country commitments that will be coming his way in the upcoming months.

He is part of the country's squad for the 2023 Asian Games, after which he'll undoubtedly participate in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers before the much-anticipated AFC Asian Cup assignment at the start of the next year.

Chhetri will also be balancing his duties with Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League.

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Sunil Chhetri has been in red-hot form for the Indian national team

Unsurprisingly, Sunil Chhetri will be a major miss for Igor Stimac and his men when they square off against Iraq. He has been one of the country's best goalscorers over the years.

In the Hero Tri-Nation Cup, the skipper registered a goal and an assist, while he scored twice, including in the final against Lebanon, in the Intercontinental Cup. At the SAFF Championship, he scored five goals in as many matches, including a hat trick against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Chhetri has 92 international goals to his name, the third-most in the list of active players, behind Cristiano Ronaldo (123) and Lionel Messi (103).