ISL 2017/18: Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri becomes first Indian to score 10 goals in a season

What's the story?

Sunil Chhetri added another feather to his hat by becoming the first Indian to score 10 goals in an ISL season. His found the back of the net on Sunday in an encounter against Jamshedpur FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, as Bengaluru FC cemented their position at the top of the table.

In case you didn't know...

It must be noted that while most of his counterparts are in their fourth ISL season, Chhetri is playing his third. This is due to the fact that back in the year 2014 when Bengaluru FC were an I-League club, the management didn't release their footballers for ISL resulting in Chhetri missing the inaugural season of the league.

The heart of the matter

The Bengaluru skipper ran clear of his marker to head in BFC's second goal on Sunday. This goal etched his name in the history books as the lethal striker became the first Indian to score 10 goals in one ISL season. Chhetri himself had netted seven goals in 2015 which was the best goal-scoring tally of any Indian in a single season before Sunday's game.

Chennaiyin FC's Jeje Lalpekhlua is on seven strikes while Mumbai City FC's Balwant Singh has scored six times in this season. These two footballers occupy the second and third positions in the top Indian goal-scorers' list for the ongoing season.

What's next?

Having collected 37 points from 17 matches, Bengaluru FC have already ensured that they would finish the group stage as the league leaders. Coach Albert Roca might want to rest Chhetri and some other regulars in the last game against Kerala Blasters to keep them fit and healthy for the all-important semifinals.

Authors take

In a league where foreigners hog most of the limelight, Chhetri has shone brightly and is currently joint third in the top goalscorers' list. That speaks volumes about his ability in the penalty box and it will be interesting to see whether the Indian captain is able to rise further up that list.