India, Sept. 23 -- "Bittersweet moment," said Sunil Chhetri. "More sweet than bitter," he qualified while talking about how it would feel being in the stands in Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Friday when India play Panama in the first of the three friendlies in the next fortnight, the other two being against Brazil (October 3) and Uruguay (October 6).

Planning for a likely farewell club season, the Bengaluru FC talisman retired for a second time from international football last November. But two decades of playing for India means pre-match routines become muscle memory.

"You know when the bus will leave, when the pre-match meeting happens. So, in that context it will feel a bit weird," he told HT. "Also, I've not come to terms t...