Who is Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia? Everything you need to know about the Aizawl FC forward who broke Sunil Chhetri's I-League record
The 23-year-old Mizoram footballer Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia has been making waves in Indian football, breaking a prestigious record jointly held by Sunil Chhetri and Mohammed Rafi.
Lalbiaknia etched his name in the history books as he netted the most number of goals by an Indian player in the I-League. Turning up for Aizawl FC in his debut season, the Mizoram footballer has scored 15 goals in just 18 appearances so far in the 2023-24 season.
Previously, the record was jointly held by Sunil Chhetri and Mohammed Rafi. The former scored 14 goals for Bengaluru FC in the 2013-14 season, while Rafi netted as many goals in the 2009-10 season.
Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia has been the talk of the town lately, and is also tipped as the future star of Indian football. He hails from the Serchhip District in Mizoram and grew up playing football on the streets. Mizoram has deep love and affection for the game of football. Over the years, the state has produced numerous talented football stars and Lalbiaknia is one of them.
The 23-year-old comes from a very humble background as growing up, he didn’t have proper boots to play the sport. His parents, however, did everything they could to support his ambitions and never forced him to pursue a career in a different field.
Lalbiaknia endured a big setback after his father passed away. It was coupled with knee and back surgery, which kept him out of the game for a long period. Despite the odds, Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia trusted the process and believed that ‘destiny’ also played its part in taking him to great heights.
Who is Lalrinzuala Lalbiakniala’s favorite footballer?
It is understood that Lalrinzuala Lalbiakniala’s favorite footballers are Sunil Chhetri and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he draws true inspiration from Shylo Malsawmtluanga, a trailblazer for Mizo footballers.
For the unversed, Shylo was the first ever Mizoram-based footballer to play for a club outside the state and also represent Team India.
Lalbiakniala has also played with Sunil Chhetri at Bengaluru FC. The former kicked off his professional football career at the club, representing their youth team.