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New Delhi, 24 February (HS). Indian football team captain and Bengaluru FC's veteran striker Sunil Chhetri will complete his record 150 matches in the Indian Super League (ISL) against Hyderabad FC this evening. Chhetri (60) is behind only Nigerian legend Bartholomew Ogbeche (63) in the all-time goal-scorer list in ISL history and is arguably India's most famous and reliable striker.
Started ISL journey with Mumbai City FC in 2015
Chhetri began his ISL journey with Mumbai City FC in 2015, making 11 appearances for the Islanders and scoring seven goals. The Islanders paid a hefty sum of Rs 1.2 crore for Chhetri in the pre-season auction, but Sunil has been a mainstay for the Blues ever since he made his league debut with Bengaluru FC in 2017. He performed brilliantly in his first ISL season with the Blues, as he scored 14 goals and provided two assists as his team finished runners-up.
He has two hat-tricks to his name in the ISL and is the only Indian player to repeat this feat more than once. Chhetri has scored two goals each five times in the league, won the league with Bengaluru FC in 2018–19 and won the Player of the Season award in 2017–18 when his team lost to Chennaiyin FC in the final. Was.
Chhetri will become the fourth player to play 150 matches in ISL.
Chhetri will become the fourth player after Pritam Kotal (157), Amrinder Singh (153) and Mandar Desai (152) to reach the mark of 150 ISL matches.
Commenting on his achievement, Chhetri said in an official statement released by the league on Friday, “Winning the ISL title was a magical moment. Rahul Bheke, currently playing in the Mumbai City FC jersey, scored the winning goal for us and I will never forget that moment. For completely different reasons, another unforgettable moment is the ISL final defeat against Chennaiyin FC on home soil. Forgive me for being selfish, but the third memorable moment is my first hat-trick. When I scored my first hat-trick, I was playing for Mumbai City FC. I believe that was the first hat-trick scored by an Indian.”
Chhetri credited ISL for producing the current batch of players for the Blue Tigers. According to the Indian captain, training daily with international coaches, players and all the experts in the top Indian league has helped the Indian players raise their level. Captain Chhetri cited the example of veteran defender Sandesh Jhingan, who was perhaps the ISL's first shining star, winning the Emerging Player of the Year award in the inaugural season in 2014.
Chhetri is currently the Indian player who has scored the most goals (4) in ISL 2023-24, but more than that, he has been a leader whom the team members look up to for inspiration. When important matches arise, he has the unique ability to motivate his teammates and raise their performance levels.
Bengaluru FC is giving tough competition to many teams for the playoff spots. The Blues have been stuck in the middle since Gerard Zaragoza took over the coaching reins in December, but Kanteerava and the club as a whole will be desperately hoping that the historic match between the captain, the leader and the legend will be the one to lift the team's fortunes this season. .