Sunil Chhetri’s retirement has brought a time of extreme uncertainty in Indian football. While this day was expected at some point, no one was prepared for it as such was the impact he had on the team. With his retirement, Indian football now faces a big problem, which is replacing his goal-scoring prowess in the national team.
Having scored 94 goals in 150 appearances for the country, Sunil Chhetri is the third active international goal scorer. His ability to come out of nowhere and put the ball at the back of the net will be sheerly missed by the Indian team. With him calling it quits now, Igor Stimac has a problem he has to address immediately. With the World Cup Qualifiers set to resume in June, the Croatian is under pressure as the team lacks the presence of a quality number nine.
Chhetri happens to be the only out-and-out striker in the Indian football team. Even though there are others who started their careers as strikers, they have since moved to other attacking positions as ISL clubs prefer having foreign talent up front rather than playing Indians as strikers. However, with an important competition just weeks away, it is the right time to decide the future of the number nine position at the national team. In this article, we take a look at four potential names that could replace Chhetri as the striker.
Who could replace Sunil Chhetri as the striker of the Indian national team?
1] Lallianzuala Chhangte
Lallianzuala Chhangte is one of the best players in the Indian national team at the moment. He had another incredible ISL season, where he scored 7 goals and made 6 assists for Mumbai City FC to help them win the ISL Cup. Chhangte primarily plays as a right winger but can fit into the role of a number nine. He has represented India on the international level and understands the responsibility of being the centre figure of the team.
Moving Chhangte to the number nine position raises a few questions as there are not a lot of players who can display his quality in that position. However, Stimac might be forced to have a tough conversation with Chhangte if he decides to move him to the number nine role. The Mizo Flash can make his presence felt from anywhere on the pitch. He has the pace to run the channels and get to the end of a through ball, which makes him a dangerous player for any backline.
2] Vikram Pratap Singh
Vikram Pratap Singh introduced himself to the world with his brilliant performance in the 2023-24 ISL season. His exploits with Mumbai City helped him win the Emerging Player of the Year award. The 22-year-old is also a winger but can play as a striker if asked to do so. His raw pace and tenacity showcase the qualities of a good striker. To make his case stronger, Vikram also can take up good positions on the pitch and this makes him a threat to opposition defenders.
3] Manvir Singh
Manvir Singh is the most experienced player on this list and definitely stands the chance to be the chosen one. He is a regular in the Indian national team and has the experience to deliver as the number nine. The 28-year-old had a decent ISL campaign where he made 10 goal contributions for Mohun Bagan SG. He is a hard worker and can play anywhere on the attack. While he sometimes struggles to put the ball in the back of the net, if given time, Manvir can certainly deliver. He is not a typical goal-scoring centre forward, but his work ethic can help elevate his team’s performances.
4] Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia
Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia grabbed the headlines when he broke the I-League record set by Sunil Chhetri for the most goals scored by an Indian in the competition. The 23-year-old scored 15 goals in just 20 games and helped his team – Aizawl FC stay in the I-League. Igor Stimac called the 23-year-old to the Indian camp for the games against Kuwait and Afghanistan. This will certainly be a great chance for the young Indian striker to learn the tricks of the trade from the man Sunil Chhetri himself, who will play his last game for the country against Kuwait on June 6.
Lalbiaknia is currently the hottest property in the I League and has ISL clubs waiting for him. He is yet to prove his talent on the big stage, but if his performance with Aizawl is an indication, Lalbiaknia could be the man to take up the striker’s position.
