Like He Never Left! Sunil Chhetri’s Brilliant Header Secures Goal Number Three For India Against Maldives

The Indian football maverick Sunil Chhetri makes his second debut a match to remember. The Indian football talisman who retired back in June 2024 made an effortless return at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong and also netted a score for India against Maldives. Chhetri, who wore the armband and started the game, scored the third goal for Team India to take the lead to 3-0 against Maldives.

Sunil Chhetri Scores Nets a Supreme Goal Upon His Team India's Comeback Against Maldives

Sunil Chhetri scored the goal in the 76th minute after he effortlessly pulled off a header from a cross-shot off Liston Colaco. After scoring the 3rd goal, Chhetri did not break out in a celebration and looked visibly emotional after scoring upon his comeback in International football.

The returning Indian footballer led the side to a 3-0 finish against Maldives at the final whistle and secured a victory under Malolo Marquez, with Chhetri scoring the third score of the evening for the Blue Tigers. Rahul Bheke and Liston Colaco also netted goals for Team India, and all of them were headers. 

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India Secure 3-0 Win Against Maldives Open 2025 With A Bang

Team India secured a commanding win over Maldives to open their 2025 campaign. After going winless throughout 2024, the Blue Tigers saw Sunil Chhetri coming out of retirement to help the team. The Indian side looked dominant from the start with proper ball possession. The Indian side secured their opening goal in the 35th minute, with Rahul Bheke scoring a header to help Team India gain a lead.

Liston Colaco netted another goal, also a header, in the competition in the 66th minute to make it 2-0 for India in the competition. The 40-year-old Sunil Chhetri netted the third goal for the side and pulled off a stunning header to take the score up against Maldives. This is Chhetri's 95th goal in international football and is on track to score 100 goals for his country, a feat which has been only achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo , Lionel Messi and Ali Daei.

India's win over Maldives marks the team's first win in 489 days, a period in which they saw a coaching shift and played 12 matches and went winless. Now, they will be shifting their attention to the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Bangladesh on March 25, 2025, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

Also Read: Sunil Chhetri Takes the Helm Upon Comeback As Coach Manolo Marquez Names India's Starting XI vs Maldives