ISL 2018-19: Komal Thatal league's youngest goalscorer after Gourav Mukhi found guilty of age fraud
Please Note: This article was updated after the AIFF has confirmed that Gourav Mukhi has been suspended for six months for age fraud.
Komal Thatal might have just become the youngest goalscorer in the Indian Super League's (ISL) history when he scored for ATK against Bengaluru FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday (October 31).
Thatal, who played in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup for India, stunned all when he scored past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu with a well-directed shot in the 15th minute of the ATK vs Bengaluru FC game. His age on the day he scored his first ISL goal is 18 years, 1 month and 13 days.
And this could just make him the youngest goalscorer in the history of the league.
But wait, there's a hitch.
According to the ISL, Jamshedpur FC's Gourav Mukhi is the youngest one to find the back of the net when he scored against Bengaluru FC - again - on Oct 7. Mukhi's age as per records submitted to the All India Football Federation's Centralised Registration System (CRS) is 16 years.
ALSO READ: How old is 16-year-old Gourav Mukhi?
However, Mukhi has previously been found guilty of fudging his age records (age fraud) by the AIFF.
Mukhi played for Jharkhand in the 2015 Sub Junior National Football Championship and when confronted by the AIFF later, confessed to being around 15 years old. If Mukhi was already 15 in 2015, there is no way he can be 16 three years later.
The AIFF too has conceded that Mukhi has submitted two documents proving his age and are currently probing the matter.
"Jamshedpur FC player Gourav Mukhi who had earlier given a declaration that his DOB was 04/05/1999 has now submitted documents to the CRS system referring that his DOB is 04/05/2002," the AIFF had said in a statement.
Going by Mukhi's original age declaration, which puts his birthdate on May 4, 1999, Mukhi was 19 years, five months and three days old when he scored against BFC.
The ISL's youngest goal-maker earlier was Jerry Lalrinzuala of Chennaiyin FC. Jerry struck against FC Goa on December 1, 2016, when he was just 18 years, four months and two days old. Thatal is clearly younger than Jerry right now.
It's really hard to believe that Mukhi is just 16 given his dubious record and physical appearance.
Until the AIFF clear the air over the matter, we can safely call Thatal as the youngest goalscorer of the ISL.