India's Sunil Chhetri nets his 86th international goal: Key stats
Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri saved the blushes for the hosts by scoring an 81st-minute winner against Vanuatu in the 2023 Intercontinental Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. It was Chhetri's 86th international goal for India. The hosts looked good in patches, but their finishing was totally off as the Vanuatu defenders held their lines really well. Here we decode Chhetri's stats.
How did the match pan out?
India had a slow start against Vanuatu. The attacking trio of Chhetri, Nandhakumar Sekar and Mahesh Naorem were keeping the opposition defenders busy throughout the first half. Nandha had a brilliant chance when Mahesh had released him on the counter but the former's shot was way off target. Vanuatu kept on frustrating India until Chhetri came up with some brilliance in the 80th minute.
86th international goal!
Chhetri has been a poster boy of Indian football in the last decade or so. He has scored innumerable match-winning goals for India, and on Monday, he added to his collection. This was his 86th international goal as he is the fifth-highest goal-scorer in men's football. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (122), Ali Daei (109), Lionel Messi (102), and Mokhtar Dahari (89) are ahead of him.
A unique goal celebration from Chhetri
Chhetri, after scoring against Vanuatu, celebrated very differently. He did the iconic ball under the jersey celebration and threw kisses toward his wife, Sonam. Later he opened up on the celebration, as he said, "Me and my wife are expecting a baby, this is how she wanted me to announce. It's for her and the baby. I hope we get all the blessings."
A look at Chhetri's record in the Intercontinental Cup
Chhetri is the top-scorer in the Intercontinental Cup with 12 strikes. He scored a hat-trick against Chinese Taipei in 2018, followed by a brace against Kenya. He even scored one in India's defeat against New Zealand. Chhetri finished with eight goals in 2018. He netted three goals in the 2019 edition. This was his first goal in the 2023 edition of the tournament.
Most international appearances for India
Chhetri has represented India 135 times, which is the most appearances by any Indian football. Retired footballer, Bhaichunga Bhutia is in second spot with 80 appearances for the Blue Tigers. Climax Lawrence is third with 72 matches. Sandesh Jhingan played his 50th match against Vanuatu, while Pritam Kotal is also nearing 50 appearances. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has made 58 appearances for India.
Most goals for India
As mentioned, Chhetri is India's top goal-scorer in international football. He has slammed 86 goals from 135 appearances for the Blue Tigers. No other player has even crossed 50 international goals. IM Vijayan is in the spot with 34 goals from 71 appearances for India. Bhutia has needed 29 times. Jeje Lalpehklua and Shabbir Ali have 23 goals apiece for the national team.
A look at Chhetri's international trophy cabinet
In his 18 years of international football for the Blue Tigers, Chhetri has won several accolades for India. He bagged the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008 and accumulated three SAFF Championships in 2011, 2015, and 2021. He has won the Nehru Cup thrice, in 2007, 2009, and 2012. The Indian skipper has bagged the Intercontinental Cup (2018) and Tri-Nation Series (2023) once each.
