What After Sunil Chettri?

It is one of the biggest questions echoing in Indian football society, but still we are not able to find answer to this question.

Sunil Chettri has been the driving force of Indian football team from last few years. In last 10 matches played by India only one player named other than Chettri is able to score a goal for India. This has caused lots of problems to Indian football team, resulting in loosing matches to even weaker teams like Afghanistan and Bangladesh in World Cup qualifying matches, denting their chances of qualification.

It is not that India have not tried other forwards or they don't have good quality strikers but none of them has been able to perform well. One of the reasons for this is beginning of ISL, the new top division of football league in India. In order to win the ISL trophy most of the coaches select foreign strikers to play and score more goals. This has resulted in conversion to wingers. Hence, when they play for India they are not able to score goals. Ashique Kuruniyan, Udanta Singh, Jayesh Rane are few examples of this change in position which has costed Indian team dearly.    

       

There are many Indian players who can help share burden of scoring goals for India and many future prospects to succeed Sunil Chettri.

Here are list of few players who can do so:-

1. Jeje Lalpekhua- Jeje is currently the second highest active goal scorer for India and is also one of the highest Indian goal scorer in ISL and two time champion of ISL, being the highest Indian goal scorer in 2017-18 season winning Emerging Player of the Season award. He has scored many important goals for India too. He has been an able ally of Chettri playing for India. But he has suffered from injuries in last few years. This season he has been signed by East Bengal and he is their top striker. This will make him regain his confidence and again be a top class striker.

2. Ishan Pandita- Ishan is the only Indian player to play in Spanish Juvenil league, top-tier youth football in Spain. For half a decade he played in Spain honing his skills, playing till tercera division (3rd division) for Lorca FC. But due to coronavirus he had to return to India and now he has been signed by FC Goa. Till now he has not played for India but now by playing in India he has a chance to impress Igor Stimac (Indian team coach) and get a chance to be in Indian team squad. He is one of the finest young Indian striket and can be a potential long term replacement for Sunil Chettri.  

3. Aniket Jadhav- One of the few Indian players to play in world cup. Aniket was part of 2017 u-17 world cup team. He is a proper no-9, an out-an-out center forward who always roams round the box to finish the scoring chances. But he is also a victim of converting strikers to wingers in ISL. This has resulted him not being given a chance to play for India. If given a chance he can be a potential goal threat and can be a top class forward for India.

4. Seiminlen Doungel- Current injury replacement for Sunil Chettri. Doungel is the best current available option as a cover for Chettri and he had shown it against Afghanistan when he scored a late equiliser to save 2 points for India in world cup qualifying match. He is only Indian striker except Chettri who has not been converted to winger in ISL. He has proved his mettle both for his club and country and is best possible solution available to India for scoring goals. 

There are few more attaking options like Manvir singh, Jobby Justin, CK Vineeth, Miachel Soosairaj, etc. But due to one or another reason they have not performed to their full potential.

For India to succeed and grow further in football they should quickly get an answer to their goal scoring problems and duly find a replacement for ageing Sunil Chettri as one day he will retire. One of the solution for this can be to have more number of academies to produce more strikers. As having more number of options will increase competition for places and improve quality of players.

Like cricket if young generation starts taking interest and playing football. The day is not far that like cricket we will also become power house of football.