Cometh the hour cometh the man: Sunil Chhetri, ultimate big-game player
The Blues will once again bank on their veteran leader to make his presence felt in the final as he has had over the years for the team in the most crucial situations.
Note: This article was originally published on March 29 in the build-up to the playoffs but has been updated and republished follow Bengaluru FC's progression to the final
The Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season is fast approaching its conclusion as Bengaluru FC booked their place in the final with a 3-2 aggregate win over FC Goa.
Sunil Chhetri proved to be the difference between the two sides as his goal in second-half stoppage time edged the Blues ahead in the tie after seeing their two-goal first-leg lead evaporate during the course of the second leg.
The 40-year-old is the top Indian goalscorer in the league again with 14 goals to his name this season and behind only Alaaeddine Ajaraie in the golden boot charts.
The Blues have once again benefitted from the veteran as he had made his presence felt in the knockout stages of the ISL.
THE MAN FOR THE BIG MOMENTS! 🐐
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 29, 2025
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Chhetri’s record in the ISL playoffs is phenomenal. He has played 15 matches for Bengaluru FC in the knockout stages of the ISL so far, scoring ten times and providing an assist.
He scored four times in the knockout stages of ISL 2017-18 which included a hat-trick against FC Pune City in the second and decisive leg of the semi-final before also finding the back of the net in the final which the Blues lost to Chennaiyin FC.
The forward once again showed his class in the 2018-19 season as he scored in the second leg of the semi-final victory against NorthEast United FC as Bengaluru FC went onto win the ISL Cup.
He had a relatively quieter outing in the 2019-20 season as Bengaluru FC lost out to ATK FC in the semi-finals before making a huge impact for the Blues as they returned to the knockout stages in 2022-23 after a gap of three years.
Chhetri scored the winner in the knockout match against Kerala Blasters FC before scoring the winner in the first leg of the semi-final against Mumbai City FC which the Blues went onto win on penalties.
The veteran was on the scoresheet again in the final against Mohun Bagan Super Giant which the Blues lost on penalties.
Chhetri added to his playoff goal tally in 2024-25 as he scored a phenomenal goal in the 5-0 win over Mumbai City FC in the Knockout fixture. However, he made an even bigger impact in the semi-finals scoring the decisive goal in the tie against FC Goa.
The 40-year-old who came out of international retirement also scored for the Indian national team on his return against Maldives.
The Blues would need their main forward in top form as they fgeature in their fourth ISL final.
Chhetri has made a reputation to come up trumps in the big moments even with the national team and Bengaluru FC will hope he can do the same in the blue of Bengaluru FC one more time.
