Sunil Chhetri overtakes Lionel Messi with important brace in India’s win over Bangladesh

India’s Sunil Chhetri, who struck a brace in his crew’s 2-0 win over Bangladesh in Doha, overtook Argentina’s Lionel Messi on Monday to turn into the second-highest energetic worldwide goalscorer with 74 objectives.
The 36-year-old striker, who helped India register a primary win within the FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifiers, is barely behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (103) within the energetic worldwide goalscorer record.

🤩 He’s now acquired greater than Messi! Sunil Chhetri’s double earns the Blue Tigers a 2-0 win in #WCQ and strikes him on to 74 worldwide objectives – above Lionel Messi and one off coming into world soccer’s all-time prime 10 🧗‍♂️@chetrisunil11 | @IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/sCCd6BgS9H
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 7, 2021
Chhetri additionally moved up within the males’s all-time record of worldwide goalscorers and is now on eleventh. He is simply behind the trio of Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis, Japan’s Kunishige Kamamoto, and Kuwait’s Bashar Abdullah, who all have 75 objectives.
Sitting simply behind him on the record, UAE’s Ali Mabkhout took his tally to 73 after scoring in opposition to Malaysia final week. On the opposite hand, Messi scored his 72nd worldwide objective in opposition to Chile final Thursday.
India’s late present punishes Bangladesh in Doha
Sunil Chhetri in motion in opposition to Bangladesh within the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. (AIFF)
India recorded their first win in FIFA World Cup qualifiers in six years after talisman Sunil Chhetri struck twice for a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh within the joint preliminary spherical match on the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Monday.
Chhetri first discovered the again of the online within the 79th minute to maintain his crew heading in the right direction for entry into the third qualifying spherical of the 2023 Asian Cup.
Starting the match on the bench, second-half substitute Ashique Kuruniyan delivered a cross from the left for Chhetri, after a long term and from a good angle, headed in brilliantly from behind Topu Barman on the Al Sadd Stadium.
It was that man Chhetri once more as he rounded off his night time with one other tremendous strike in additional time (90+2) after receiving the ball from Suresh Singh from the precise flank.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧! 😍
Skipper @chetrisunil11 appreciating the love from the followers after one other prime draw efficiency! 💪
🇮🇳 𝟐-𝟎 🇧🇩#BANIND ⚔️ #WCQ 🏆 #AgainTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/RbHsnxMXxp
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 7, 2021
The double strikes meant India registered their first win in what was turning out to be one among their worst World Cup qualifying campaigns in a few years. It was additionally their first victory in World Cup qualifiers away from residence in 20 years.
A assured India discovered themselves urgent within the opposition half after Chhetri’s 73rd objective in worldwide soccer and the transfer labored for beleaguered coach Igor Stimac because the captain scored his and the crew’s second simply earlier than the ultimate whistle.
Despite being forward, India seemed so as to add to their tally with each Ashique and Chhetri linking up properly, at the same time as many of the Bangladesh gamers moved up in quest of an equaliser.

🗣️ @chetrisunil11: “To win 3⃣ points, win a full game is sweet! I’m really happy that we also kept a clean sheet” 👊
How do you fee that effort from the #BlueTigers on each ends of the sphere?#BANIND ⚔️ #WCQ 🏆 #AgainTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/RsemCez8qg
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 7, 2021
In the top, the equaliser didn’t materialise however India absolutely ended on a excessive, giving their marketing campaign the much-needed enhance after a sequence of winless outings.
With his two objectives, Chhetri, worldwide soccer’s second highest scorer amongst energetic gamers, greater than made up for the fumble within the 63rd minute when the unmarked captain missed a free header after a tremendous ball from Brandon Fernandes.
(with inputs from PTI)