WATCH: Sunil Chettri’s long-range goal is a testament of how far Indian football has come

Chettri, the Arjuna-awardee is both the most-capped player and all-time top goalscorer for the India national team, with 56 goals in 97 appearances

By: Ankit Banerjee |
January 9, 2018 6:49 pm

Sunil Chettri’s breathtaking long-range strike against Atletico De Kolkata, which helped Bengaluru FC go top of the points table in the Indian Super League, proved, Indian football has come a long way. 2017 was earmarked as the year in which Indian football would come of age and so it did. It started off with India beating Myanmar in Yangon and the victory against Kyrgyz Republic in Bengaluru stood out. Indian football coach Stephen Constantine has an unforgettable year as India enjoyed a 13-match unbeaten streak which helped India break into the top 100 teams in the world, India was at 96. 2018 could be a year when India has to walk the talk after qualifying for the Asean Cup, a big deal!

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THE GOAL

Bengaluru FC and ATK were locked at 0-0 for the majority of the first half. That is when Indian captain Sunil Chettri in the 39th minute took advantage of a lose pass by ATK. He took one touch to get the ball under control and unleashed a shot to the right of goalkeeper Debjit Majumder. It was a 30-metre shot, where the ATK goalkeeper had no chance because of the blistering pace at which the shot was taken.

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That strike gave Bengaluru FC the lead and helped them take giant strides in the points table as well. ATK who have had a woeful season could not come back from behind, they got their best chance in the 79th minute but could not level scores. Bengaluru as a franchise has 18 goals in the season which is the highest for any team.

This stunning long-ranger from the boot of skipper @chetrisunil11 sent @bengalurufc to the top of the table!

Can this also be the Fans’ Goal of the Week? Vote here: https://t.co/NAhnSUDE4r #HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/6uogEd7Bna

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) January 8, 2018

Chettri, the Arjuna-awardee is both the most-capped player and all-time top goalscorer for the India national team, with 56 goals in 97 appearances.