Chhetri hat-trick helps India beat Pakistan 4-0 to start SAFF Championship 2023 on a high
India made light work of Pakistan at the Sree Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, with Sunil Chhetri scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win to kick off their 2023 SAFF Championship campaign.
Chhetri scored two goals from the spot in both halves, apart from his 10th minute opener, while Udanta Singh grabbed a late fourth goal for India to round things off.
The hat-trick brought up Chhetri's international tally to 90 goals, going past Malaysia's Mokhtar Dahari on 89 goals to become the second-highest scoring Asian and fourth-highest overall in international football.
"Also, very happy to be back at the fortress, the atmosphere was amazing," the captain added. "Playing here we always feel confident."
With Pakistan only having around six hours in Bengaluru ahead of their match against India, it was expected that the home side would have the physical advantage right from the off. Pakistani goalkeeper Saqib Hanif displayed signs of jet-lag as he dallied on the ball while bringing it out of the box. Chhetri, ever ready to pounce like a coiled tiger, took advantage and nicked the ball off Hanif, before rounding him and slotting into the gaping net.