Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri will achieve a historic achievement, will play his 150th match in ISL.
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Bengaluru: Indian football team captain and Bengaluru FC’s veteran striker Sunil Chhetri will achieve a historic feat on Saturday when he faces Hyderabad FC in the match to be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium at 7:30 pm (IST) in the Indian Super Cup. Will complete 150 matches in the league (ISL).
Chhetri (60) is only behind Nigerian legend Bartholomew Ogbeche (63) in the all-time goal-scorer list in ISL history and is arguably the best goal-scorer among Indians, the most famous and reliable striker in India.
Chhetri began his ISL journey with Mumbai City FC in 2015, making 11 appearances for the Islanders and scoring seven goals. This was a small glimpse of his artistry as fans were about to see the star striker continue his impressive performances over the years.
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 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.
Incidentally, when asked about his most memorable moments from his years in the ISL, which tops his list of records and achievements, he said, “Winning the ISL trophy is my most memorable moment in the league.
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 and ahead of the feat, he said, “Winning the ISL title was a magical moment. Rahul Bheke, currently playing in 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 Ngangan, who was perhaps the ISL’s first shining star, winning the Emerging Player of the Year award in the inaugural season in 2014.
In many ways, Chhetri is a trailblazer and a beacon of hope for the entire young generation of football superstars who have gained recognition because of the ISL. Out of the 51 ISL matches in which Chhetri has scored, his team has won 33 matches. 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 every member of the team looks up to for inspiration. When important matches arise, he has the unique ability to motivate his teammates and raise their performance levels.
The post Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri will achieve a historic achievement, will play his 150th match in ISL appeared first on Dainik Savera Times | Hindi News Portal.
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