New Delhi, June 16 (IANS): India football team skipper Sunil Chhetri has now overtaken England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney as the fourth highest active international scorer in the world.
After his majestic strike against Kyrgyzstan in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Chhetri, who plies his trade for Bengaluru FC in club football, toppled Rooney who has netted 53 goals so far for the Three Lions.
Chhetri now has 54 to his name. Rooney has been dropped by Gareth Southgate and the player's falling stock means Chhetri can keep his pace with Lionel Messi (58) and US forward Clint Dempsey (56).
Chhetri made a brilliant run, dribbled past three defenders and combined with Jeje Lalpekhlua to score the winner in the 69th minute to open up a three-point gap at the top of Group A in their Asian Cup qualifying campaign.
India now have six points from two games in the group. India beat Myanmar 1-0 in their first outing, where too Chhetri scored the winner.
