Sunil Chhetri scored three goals as India defeated Pakistan 4-0 in the inaugural match of the SAFF Championship 2023 on Wednesday at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bangalore.
India’s record-holder Chhetri surpassed Malaysia’s Mokhtar Dahari to move into fourth place on the list of all-time goalscorers in international competition.
Sunil Chhetri, who has scored 90 goals in 138 international appearances, is presently the third-highest active scorer in international contests, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi of Argentina.
The 38-year-old scored twice in the first half and a penalty in the second to complete his hat-trick, while Udanta Singh Kumam scored the other goal to give India a decisive victory.
In 2014, Pakistan’s last football series in India consisted of two draws.
India defeated Bangladesh 3-1 at the 2018 SAFF Championship in Bangladesh.
Group A of the eight-team SAFF Championship consists of India and Pakistan, Kuwait, and Nepal. Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan, and Bangladesh make up Group B.