BENGALURU: India skipper Sunil Chhetri was unstoppable in the high-octane SAFF Championship clash against Pakistan as he led his side to a dominating 4-0 victory.
The star Indian footballer decimated Pakistan’s defence and scored a hat-trick in his side’s thumping 4-0 victory over Pakistan.
Sunil Chhetri scripted a perfect start for the hosts as he capitalised on a costly error by the Pakistan goalkeeper Saqib Hanif, who lost control of a regulation pass and left the room for Chhetri to slot the ball into the nets.
India were then awarded a penalty just five minutes later as Anirudh Thapa kicked the ball from the left-hand corner of the box which caught the hand of a Pakistan defender.
Sunil Chhetri opted to go for the penalty himself and he made no mistake in firing his second goal with utter composure.
Briefly, ahead of the break, things got heated up on the field when Indian coach Igor Stimac knocked the ball from Abdullah Iqbal’s hands who was ready for a throw-in.
Following the offence, the Indian coach was given a send-off while Pakistan’s Rahis Nabi and Sandesh Jhingan were given a Yellow card for their involvement in the altercation.
At the halftime mark, India had a healthy 2-0 lead over clueless Pakistan.
Sunil Chhetri then completed his hat trick in the 74th minute as he converted another penalty after he was fouled in the box by Mohammad Sufyan.
Udanta Singh Kumam then joined the party for India as he registered himself on the scoresheet with a fine field goal in the 81st minute.
With their dominant 4-0 victory over Pakistan, India registered their seventh consecutive clean sheet.
Pakistan’s schedule in SAFF Championship
June 24 – Kuwait
June 27 – Nepal
