Ali Daei of Iran holds the record with 109 goals from 149 matches. Chhetri has 90 strikes to his name.
Digital Desk: Sunil Chhetri became the second-highest Asian goalscorer in
international football with his sparkling hat-trick in India's 4-0 victory over Pakistan in their
SAFF Championship opening on Wednesday.
The record is owned by Iranian Ali Daei, who has scored 109 goals in 149 games. Chhetri has received 90 strikes.
Indian players contributed their experience and class to the game right from the start. Pakistan offered some patchy resistance, but on a rainy night at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, they could not equal India's coherence and purpose.
In the Intercontinental Cup final match against Lebanon in Odisha on Sunday, Chhetri displayed glimpses of his former exuberant self. On his "home turf," the Indian captain cranked it up a notch. India began the goal rush in the 10th minute when Chhetri scored a beautiful field goal, having quickly adjusted to the playing surface and their opponents.
The talismanic forward extended the advantage through a penalty six minutes later, and at 2-0, the direction of the game was obvious. India attempted to score additional goals in the first half, but their efforts were unsuccessful because Pakistan's defence stood firm. India also wasted a few opportunities to put pressure on their competitors, although not very easy.
Despite having a comfortable 2-0 lead before the break, India's first half came to a somewhat disappointing conclusion. Igor Stimac, the coach, was given a red card and had to leave the dugout for the night for an unnecessary attempt to prevent a Pakistani player from taking the throw-in.
However, it did not stop India's momentum in the second half. The home team surged forward in search of more goals. The crucial moment occurred when India increased its lead to 3-0 in the 74th minute.
India's captain scored the penalty kick to complete his hat-trick and put the game beyond Pakistan's reach after two Pakistani defenders pulled down Chhetri inside the box.
After that, it came down to India's margin of victory, and Udanta Singh added more misery for the guests with a goal in the 81st minute. Sandesh Jhingan fed Udanta with a through ball, and Udanta made a swift, effective run down the pitch to put the ball past the Pakistan goalkeeper.
"Happy to start the tournament and happy to keep a clean sheet. These kinds of circumstances rarely make matches simple. This is incredible, this is what we play for, happy people showed up, Chhetri stated following the game. Despite a significant downpour, the 22860-person crowd packed the stadium to enjoy India's lavish performance. India's second Group A encounter is against the underdog Nepal on Saturday.
It is noteworthy that Chhetri, 38, scored his maiden goal on June 12, 2005, when he made his senior Indian national debut against Pakistan.
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