Who next after Sunil Chhetri? Exploring India’s options

‘Who next after Sunil Chhetri?’ has been a question that’s been asked in Indian football circles for many a year now. Chhetri himself kept it at bay thanks to his incredible longevity (and unparalleled productivity), but with India’s greatest-ever goalscorer announcing that he will retire after the next match on June 6, the question takes centre stage again.

Who next after Sunil Chhetri?

Before we explore the options available for the Indian national team, a disclaimer: no Indian team apart from Bengaluru FC plays an Indian as the sole centre-forward — and you know who that player is. So, the names being listed down here are those who can potentially step into the middle or have done so for club/country on occasion.

None of them have the rare combination of attributes that Chhetri had – inside-the-box finishing and spectacular hits, heading ability and an eye for the pass, holding the ball up and pressing relentlessly – but that merely underlines the sheer impact that Chhetri has had for the national team over the past two decades. And just how massive his decision to retire is. So, the options…

The obvious ones

Vikram Partap Singh (22 years old)

Given more game time by new Mumbai City coach Petr Kratky, Vikram has come into his own this season scoring eight goals by playing primarily as a left winger. His relentless running could help keep up the intensity that Chhetri often set, and he continues to improve on his decision-making inside the final third. Plus, you can never underestimate the value of having an in-form striker, and Vikram is certainly that.

Vikram Partap’s metamorphosis: From a non-starter to Mumbai City and ISL’s top scoring Indian striker

Sivasakthi Narayanan (22)

Arguably the most natural goalscorer on this list, Sivasakthi has always maintained that he doesn’t care how the ball goes into the net as long as it does. Has a happy knack of being in the right place at the right time – as he showed in the 22/23 season, where he played up top alongside Roy Krishna. A long-term injury and change in management meant he hasn’t been able to reprise that role, but that ability to sniff out a goal when allowed to play in the box remains intact.

Rahim Ali (24)

One of the few who plays as a centre-forward on occasion for his club, Ali’s physicality is his biggest strength. Has played at CF either as a sub or a replacement when Chhetri’s been unavailable, but has been guilty of fluffing his lines on more than one occasion. Under the tutelage of Owen Coyle, a certain deftness is coming into his finishing, and that can only make him a better option moving forward.

Manvir Singh (28)

Possibly the safest choice on the list right now. Manvir is the coach’s dream: he’ll play the role his coach has outlined for him to the T. Good at holding the ball up, but patchy with his finishing, Manvir is capable of oscillating from the stunning to the ‘what-was-that’ in the space of a couple of shots. Whichever side of his you see, though, the one thing that’s guaranteed is that he’ll keep on keeping on.

The out-of-the-box ones

Lallianzuala Chhangte (26) as false nine

While it’s hard to answer who’ll be India’s #9 after Chhetri, the answer to who’ll be India’s talisman is Zuala Chhangte. The best Indian player right now, Chhangte has elevated his game to become one of the ISL’s most impactful — and clutch — players. No one on this list (Chhetri neither) comes close to his 20 goals across the past two seasons and while moving him inside from his usual station on the right wing might seem like a risky proposition, but if anyone has the skill and confidence to pull off a false-nine experiment, it’s Chhangte.

(Or Mahesh Singh Naorem, whose calmness in front of goal is rare — but it does take away the best aspect of his game, his crossing.)

ISL 2023-24 Player of the Season: Lallianzuala Chhangte, Mumbai City’s man for the big-game

The promising ones

Parthib Gogoi (21)