Bengaluru FC talisman Sunil Chhetri overtook Bartholomew Ogbeche to become the leading goal-scorer in the history of the Indian Super League (ISL) with his strike against the Mohun Bagan Super Giant last month. Chhetri has netted 64 times in 139 appearances in the league and became the ISL champion with the Blues in 2018-19.

This season, the Gerard Zaragoza-coached team sits at the top of the points table after four games, remaining undefeated with 10 points to their name.

Chhetri has been acing his game with three strikes and one assist, bringing up four goal contributions in as many appearances in this campaign, before the first international break of ISL 2024-25.

His remarkable goal-scoring feat has given viewers the apt opportunity to breakdown his tally and classify them in separate metrics, including the seasons in which they came about, opponents, and also the playoff encounters in which they were scored. Here’s a complete analysis of the same.

Season-wise

Incidentally, Chhetri’s best season in terms of output was his first with the Blues in the ISL, i.e. 2017-18, when he found the back of the net 14 times, but Bengaluru FC finished runners-up to Chennaiyin FC. It has been the only campaign when he hit the double-digit mark in the league.

He followed it up with impressive deliverables in the following three seasons too, notching nine, nine, and eight goals respectively. Chhetri hit a slump thereafter, accumulating 14 goals across 61 matches from 2021-24, but he seems to have hit the reset button with consistent outings in the first four matches of the current campaign.

Opponents

Chhetri has thrived facing his former team Mumbai City FC in the ISL, notching nine goals, followed by his records against Kerala Blasters FC and NorthEast United FC, with the 40-year-old netting eight and seven times against them respectively.

His performances against other teams are here to be seen, and it’s a fairly evenly divided amongst all opponents, showing that the ex-India captain has stepped up in all kinds of matches, irrespective of their magnitude.

Playoffs

Additionally, Chhetri has been a key figure for Bengaluru FC in the ISL playoffs too, scoring twice in the finals, five times in the semi-finals, and once in the playoffs elimination (quarter-final) game. Sublimely, he had scored a hat-trick in a last-four fixture against FC Pune City in 2017-18, and has been instrumental for the Blues whenever they have made a deep run into the ISL season.

Having retired from international football, Chhetri has embraced a re-energised outlook towards the current ISL season. Bengaluru FC have sparked a remarkable comeback in the initial phase in 2024-25, and the seasoned forward will be crucial for their prospects in the coming few months.