Sunil Chhetri, Details about the Indian Football Star Skipper
Sunil Chhetri was born on the 3rd of August in the year 1984. He is an Indian professional football player. Sunil Chhetri is a forward. He is the captain of both the Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national football team.
Chhetri is the third-highest international goalscorer. He is right behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He became the joint fifth-highest of all time. Chhetri bagged the most-capped player title and the all-time top goalscorer for India.
Chhetri began his professional career at Mohun Bagan in the year 2002. He went on to play with JCT and scored 21 goals in 48 games. Sunil was part of the Delhi team in the 59th edition of the Santosh trophy. The Santosh Trophy was held in Delhi. He bagged 6 goals in that tournament. He scored a hat-trick against Gujarat.
He went on to sign for Major League Soccer in the Kansas City Wizards in 2010. He became the third player from the subcontinent to go abroad. He returned to India for the I-League. Chhetri played for Chirag United and Mohun Bagan before going back abroad.
Chhetri contributed to India’s wins in the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup. He led to wins in 2011, 2015, and 2021 SAFF Championship. He helped India to win the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. This win helped them to qualify for their first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years. He scored twice in the final tournament in 2011. Chhetri has been awarded the title of AIFF Player of the Year six times. He received this title in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018–19.
Chhetri was given the Arjuna Award in 2011. He received the Padma Shri award in 2019. In 2021, he was honored with the Khel Ratna Award. Sunil Chhetri became the first football player to receive this award.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mohun Bagan | 2002–03 | National Football League | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 4 |
| 2003–04 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | ||||
| 2004–05 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | ||||
| Mohun Bagan total | 18 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 8 | ||
| JCT | 2005–06 | National Football League | 48 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 48 | 3 |
| 2006–07 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 12 | ||||
| 2007–08 | I-League | 7 | — | — | — | — | 7 | |||
| JCT total | 48 | 22 | — | — | — | — | 48 | 22 | ||
| **East Bengal | 2008–09 | I-League | 17 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 13 |
| East Bengal total | 17 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 13 | ||
| Dempo | 2009–10 | I-League | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 8 |
| Dempo total | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 8 | ||
| Kansas City Wizards | 2010 | Major League Soccer | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kansas City Wizards total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Chirag United | 2010–11 | I-League | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chirag United total | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | ||
| Mohun Bagan | 2011–12 | I-League | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 9 |
| Dempo total | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 9 | ||
| Sporting CP B | 2012–13 | LigaPro | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Sporting CP B total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Churchill Brothers (loan) | 2012–13 | I-League | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 6 |
| Churchill Brothers total | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 | ||
| Bengaluru | 2013–14 | I-League | 23 | 14 | 3 | 1 | — | 26 | 15 | |
| 2014–15 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 32 | 11 | ||
| Bengaluru total | 43 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 58 | 26 | ||
| Mumbai City | 2015 | Indian Super League | 11 | 7 | — | — | 11 | 7 | ||
| Mumbai City total | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | ||
| Bengaluru (loan) | 2015–16 | I-League | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 9 |
| Bengaluru total | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 9 | ||
| Mumbai City (loan) | 2016 | Indian Super League | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Mumbai City total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Bengaluru | 2016–17 | I-League | 16 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 30 | 12 |
| 2017–18 | Indian Super League | 21 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 33 | 24 | |
| 2018–19 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 10 | ||
| 2019–20 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 11 | ||
| 2020–21 | 20 | 8 | — | 1 | 1 | 21 | 9 | |||
| 2021–22 | 20 | 4 | — | 3 | 0 | 23 | 4 | |||
| 2022–23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Bengaluru total | 113 | 51 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 12 | 148 | 70 | ||
| Career total | 315 | 145 | 26 | 18 | 42 | 20 | 388 | 185 |
** East Bengal – Others – Appearances – 5 and Goals – 2
Appearances and Goals of the player
| Year | Appearances | Goals |
| 2005 | 5 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | 7 | 6 |
| 2008 | 13 | 8 |
| 2009 | 6 | 1 |
| 2010 | 6 | 3 |
| 2011 | 17 | 13 |
| 2012 | 8 | 4 |
| 2013 | 11 | 5 |
| 2014 | 2 | 3 |
| 2015 | 12 | 6 |
| 2016 | 4 | 2 |
| 2017 | 6 | 5 |
| 2018 | 6 | 8 |
| 2019 | 11 | 7 |
| 2021 | 10 | 8 |
| 2022 | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 129 | 84 |
Honors
Club
Dempo
I-League
2009–10
Churchill Brothers
I-League
2012–13
Bengaluru
Indian Super League
2018–19
I-League
2013–14
2015–16
Indian Federation Cup
2014–15
2016–17
Super Cup
2018
AFC Cup
runner-up position
2016
International
India
AFC Challenge Cup
2008
SAFF Championship
2011
2015
2021
Runner-up
2008, 2013
Nehru Cup
2007
2009
2012
Intercontinental Cup
2018
King’s Cup – secured third place
2019
India U-20
South Asian Games
Silver medal
2004
Individual
AIFF Player of the Year (6 times)
2007
2011
2013
2014
2017
2018–19
FPAI Indian Player of the Year (3 times)
2009
2018
2019
SAFF – Player of the Tournament
2011
2015
2021
SAFF – Top Scorer (2 times)
2011
2021
I-League Golden Boot
2013–14
Hero of the I-League
2016–17
Hero of the Indian Super League
2017–18
Hero of the Intercontinental Cup
2018
AFC Asian Icon
3 August 2018
Football Ratna Award (first recipient) – Football Delhi
18 February 2019
Others
AFC Cup All-time XI (The Strikers)
Inductee (2021)
Awards and accolades
2011 − Arjuna Award
2019 − was awarded Padma Shri
2021 – was awarded the Khel Ratna Award
Records
First Indian player who played in three different continents
Most goals by an Indian football player in AFC Competitions
Most hat-tricks by an Indian football player in ISL
First Indian football player to score a hat-trick in ISL
The highest Indian goal scorer in ISL
The highest Indian goal scorer in I-League
Awarded AIFF Player of the Year for six times
Most hat-tricks scored for India
Most appearances made for India
Highest international goals by an Indian football player
Latest News
Sunil Chhetri reached the position of the joint fifth most goal-scorer in international football history.
It is a fan moment for all football lovers.
Chhetri went on to score his 84th goal in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier. The Qualifier was a match against Hong Kong.
Chettri is at par with the great Real Madrid and Hungarian star Ferenc Puskas on the international level.
Chhetri surpassed the great footballer Pele’s 77-goal record. He set the record in October 2021.
Ronaldo is the leading goalscorer in the category of international football. He has scored 117 goals. Messi is in the fourth position with 86 goals.