Akhil Rawat
AIFF Media Team

PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: Suhail Ahmad Bhat vividly remembers the day he was a ball boy during a practice match between an Indian XI and Jammu & Kashmir All Stars in 2019.

"I was positioned behind Amrinder (Singh) paaji's goalpost. Now I'm training with him on the same pitch," the 20-year-old smiles.

Instead of handing the ball to him, he now shoots at the goal guarded by Amrinder during training. For the Indian attackers, taking shots at goal after the end of the training session is almost a routine now. First-time camper Bhat is the newest member of the drill, impressing his seniors with his ambidextrous qualities. The seniors whom he grew up watching and who are now his teammates.

For Bhat, who was just two months old when Sunil Chhetri scored on his India debut in 2005, it feels 'surreal' to not just train with him, but compete with him in the national team. All he yearns for at the moment is to play his first game for the country, and hopefully, score. India will take on Thailand in an international friendly on June 4 before facing Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier on June 10. The match will kick off at 18.00 IST, and will be streamed live on FanCode.

"Now I'm in the same team as Chhetri bhai. He has played for 20 years. His mentality and longevity motivate me a lot as a young player," says Bhat, who hails from the Bemina region of Srinagar.

Those who have watched Bhat celebrate after scoring goals for his club, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, know well that he's an ardent fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Ronaldo is an inspiration because he's still going strong at 41, but you only see him on the screen. Chhetri bhai talks to me, teaches me. He is a beast. He inspires me on a daily basis on and off the pitch. I also take it as a competition. If he's 10 minutes early for gym, I try to be 15 minutes earlier," shares Bhat.

Should Bhat be selected for the upcoming games, he would become only the fifth player from Jammu & Kashmir to play for the Indian national team after Abdul Majeed Kakroo and Mushir Ahmed in the 1980s, Mehrajuddin Wadoo from 2005 to 2011, and Danish Farooq Bhat, as recently as 2022. It's not just Bhat's dream, but 'entire Kashmir's dream'.

Bhat's rapid rise from the national teams at the U16, U19, and U23 levels to the senior team is no surprise. In 2022, he was named in the Guardian's Next Generation list of the 60 best young talents in world football.

"In every junior team, whether under Bibiano (Fernandes) sir in U16, (Shuvendu) Panda sir in U19 or Clifford (Miranda) sir in U23, all the coaches told me to keep the senior team as my goal. This is the next step, and I want to keep growing.

"I developed a lot under these coaches, not only the game but also the discipline. Being before time for every training, meal, team meeting, and gym session — these things matter a lot. I think my mentality is my biggest strength. If I miss a shot, I go again for the next one. I don't stop."