So, who is after Chhetri for Indian football?
Surprise... It's still Sunil Chhetri. The Captain. Leader. Legend. Seeing India's struggles in the final third, he took matters into his own hands.
In the past year, India played 11 matches, including the Asian Cup qualifiers, scoring just four goals. Football may be low-scoring, but India’s form suggests it’s no-scoring.
Coach Manolo Márquez emphasized the importance of Chhetri’s return, saying, "Qualifying for the Asian Cup is vital. I discussed with Sunil about making a comeback."
But is this the right move?
Goal drought or Striker drought
Truth is, it’s both—one causes the other.
India has long searched for Chhetri’s successor, but no one has consistently stepped up.�
When the foreign-player quota in ISL’s starting XI dropped from five to four in 2021-22, the expectation was a greater influx of Indian talent—and while that did happen, strikers remained as rare as hen’s teeth.�
Before the rule change, foreigners accounted for 80% of all ISL goals.�
While Indians now contribute about a third of ISL goals, the expectation of a steady rise hasn't materialized.�
So, why no strikers?
Two key factors contribute to India's lack of strikers. Ironically, they are mutualistic, creating a self-perpetuating cycle—an endless paradox.
The first is the evident skill gap. Simply put, Indian center-forwards often lack the technical ability and tactical awareness to establish themselves as top-tier strikers.
Whether in statistics or match footage, their movement and instincts frequently fall short of expectations. While some youngsters have shown glimpses of breaking this trend in lower divisions and youth leagues, their impact rarely sustains at the highest level.
The second factor stems from the first—a lack of game time at the highest level.
Strikers in India, particularly in the Indian Super League (ISL), rarely get the chance to develop in their natural role. Many promising center-forwards are converted into wingers or inside-forwards instead of being trusted to lead the attack.
While some blame clubs or coaches, the numbers tell a different story.
Clubs in India invest heavily to compete, and winning requires goals.
But Indian strikers have yet to prove themselves as consistent goal-scorers for any coach to regularly trust them with a starting XI spot.
Even the legendary Sunil Chhetri, despite his pedigree, faced a phase in the past three seasons where he was considered past his prime.�
Since the 2020-21 season, apart from Ishan Pandita’s explosive debut campaign and Sivasakthi’s breakout year with Bengaluru, no Indian striker has consistently maintained a high goal tally or matched the shot counts of foreign forwards.
As seen in the data, the top-right quadrant of expected goal-scorers—where India's best strikers should be—remains largely devoid of domestic names.�
The analysis of ISL seasons from 2020-21 to 2023-24 shows a stark contrast:
- 69 foreign players averaged more than 2.2 shots and 0.25 goals per 90 minutes, scoring 520 goals.
- Only 12 Indian players met the same criteria, collectively scoring 67 goals.
- Chhangte, Pandita, and Liston made the list twice, while Bipin, Sivasakthi, and Chhetri appeared once each.
A few outliers like Ritwik Das and Parthib Gogoi had standout seasons but failed to sustain their impact.
The stark difference is telling. Until Indian forwards match the goal contributions of their foreign counterparts, their lack of opportunities—both in minutes and in front of the goal—will persist.
Striker shortages aren't exclusive to India.
Spain, despite its world-class midfielders, has long lacked a prolific No. 9.
In Saudi Arabia, the influx of foreign stars has reduced playing time for local strikers, impacting their national team.
The reality
There is no quick fix to India’s striker crisis—at least not one without consequences.
As long as ISL teams continue to recruit foreign strikers who consistently outperform Indian counterparts, they will and should keep playing—on merit.
Consequently, Indian strikers will continue to struggle for minutes and often be forced into secondary roles or out-of-position deployments.
This is a cycle that repeats itself too often. As Manolo Márquez recently pointed out, Indian players who shine in one season rarely maintain their form in the next.
�Even this year, Brison Fernandes is excelling—not as a striker but as a midfielder. Other goal-scorers like Jerry, Manvir, Chhangte, and Liston operate on the flanks rather than centrally.
Meanwhile, India’s top-scoring ISL player in the national team isn’t even a forward—Subhasish Bose, a defender. Maybe it’s time for him to be India’s Emilio Nsue, an out-of-position goal machine.
India doesn’t just need a striker—it needs a generation of strikers.
Chhetri was an anomaly, and betting on another one-off talent isn’t a solution.
The only way forward is to strengthen grassroots football to produce forwards capable of competing head-to-head with Ogbeche, Coro, Miku, and Chhetri in the ISL. Until then, the striker crisis will persist.
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