Sunil Chhetri, the skipper of the Indian football squad who just a few days ago was imploring his stay-away fans to turn up at his matches, has given them quite a few good reasons to do just that.
The captain-legend not only managed to clinch a glorified 2-0 win for the country against the speedy Kenyans in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai on Sunday, but also managed to secure the title by striking two scorchers and thus, becoming the second highest active goal-scorer in international football.
The power player dedicated the team's stellar performance to the fans who turned up in huge numbers following his emotional appeal, but at the same time forewarned them that there is a long road to success for Indian football.
With a total of 64 strikes in 102 matches, the 33-year-old now shares the coveted position with none other than Argentina’s football legend, Lionel Messi.
The two are now behind Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo who leads the active players’ list with a tally of 81 goals in 150 appearances.
Jointly, Chhetri and Messi are currently 21st in the all-time scorers’ list.
However, on being questioned over the rankings before the final match on Sunday, the humble skipper had dismissed the comparisons saying they were far too unfair.
“I don’t take it seriously. It’s not even fair," he said.
"The two players who are above me are completely world stars. I am a big fan of Messi and Ronaldo. There is a massive difference between them and us. There is no comparison at all."
The star captain who began his career in 2002 with Mohun Bagan, the oldest football club in India, went on to play for a number of domestic clubs before being roped in by the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer in 2010 -- making him the third ever player from India to foray outside of South Asia.
India captain Sunil Chhetri vies for the ball during the Hero Intercontinental Cup football match between India and Kenya in Mumbai on June 10, 2018. Source: UNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images
When he is not leading the country on international fields, the most-capped Indian player can be seen putting the ball in the back of the net on home grounds for the domestic Bengaluru Football Club.
But after years of struggle, it appears that the promising Indian player has finally begun to get his due and so has the game which has long been languishing in the shadow of cricket.
Indian actor Abhishek Bachchan, an ardent football fan who also owns a team, said this is the kind of support Indian football needs to arrive on the world stage.
