Bengaluru: With a goal against defending Shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giants, Sunil Chhetri surpassed Bart Ogbeche to become the all-time top scorer of the Indian Super League (ISL) with 64 goals to his name.
The striker etched his name in the record books with a calmly slotted penalty in the 55th minute of the game. Chhetri headed into the game tied with Nigerian striker Ogbeche who had played for four different clubs in the ISL — Kerala Blasters, NorthEast United FC, Mumbai City and Hyderabad FC.
The 40-year-old Chhetri tied the all-time goal record when he scored a brace against Hyderabad FC in Bengaluru’s previous game which they won 3-0.
The former Indian skipper joined Bengaluru FC in 2015 when the side was playing in the I-League before he left on a one-season loan to Mumbai City FC, where he represented the Islanders on 17 occasions and scored seven goals, in his first season in the league.
Upon his return to Bengaluru which coincided with the team joining the ISL when the league expanded in 2017, Chhetri has gone on to don the shirt on 275 occasions, scoring 118 goals and has assisted 23 times.
Alongside his stellar club career, which saw him become a beloved hero in the city of Bengaluru, Chhetri recently retired from international football in June, when he played his final game against Kuwait in the FIFA WC Qualifiers at the Salt Lake Stadium, after an illustrious 19-year-long stint for India.
He has represented India on 151 occasions and retired from the stage as India’s all-time top scorer with 96 goals scored. He was also the third-highest active goal scorer in international football when he called the curtain on his days with the Blue Tigers.
(IANS)
