2011-2021: How have India performed with and without Jeje Lalpekhlua?

It has been nearly three years since Jeje Lalpekhlua last played an international match. The last time he played for the Blue Tigers was in the final group game of Asian Cup 2019 against Bahrain which India lost 1-0.

Since then a lot has changed in Lalpekhlua's career. He missed the entire 2019-20 season due to a knee injury and was forced to undergo surgery. He came back in the 2020-21 season and donned the East Bengal jersey in the Indian Super League (ISL). He appeared in only seven ISL matches under coach Robbie Fowler and had one goal to show for his effort.

Post the knee surgery, Jeje hasn't enjoyed a purple patch of form. While he is yet to sign for a club in the 2021-22 season, he has also not featured for India under coach Igor Stimac and understandably so. The Mizoram-born forward has a formidable record in international football. In 54 matches, he has scored 23 goals and is the highest active Indian goalscorer after skipper Sunil Chhetri.

At his peak, Lalpekhlua formed a lethal strike partnership with Chhetri and together the duo provided several memorable moments for Indian football fans to cherish. From 2011 to 2019, when the striker was an integral part of the Indian national team, the Blue Tigers won 28 matches out of the 54 they played and scored 75 goals.

WSG

India managed to qualify for the Asian Cup 2019 and also won three international trophies (SAFF Championship 2018, Tri-Nation Series 2017 and Intercontinental Cup 2018).

Coincidentally, since the former Chennaiyin FC striker got sidelined from the national side, the performance graph of the team has also gone down. India, in the last two years have scored 18 goals in 18 matches and have won just thrice. Obviously, the quality of the opposition matters in this case however, India are now more than ever reliant on Chhetri for goals.

How did India perform with Jeje Lalpekhlua in the team?

In the 54 international matches Jeje Lalpekhlua has appeared in for India, the Blue Tigers have won 28 matches with a win percentage of 51.85 per cent. India lost 15 matches and have drawn 11 with Jeje in the team.

The forward himself has scored 23 international goals in those 54 matches while India have managed to score 75 goals during that time which is 1.38 goals per game.

How did India perform without Jeje Lalpekhlua in the team?

Since Jeje Lalpekhlua's last international match, India have played 18 matches so far where they have managed to win only three games with a win percentage of 16.67 per cent. They lost seven games and drawn eight. In these 18 matches, the Blue Tigers have scored 18 goals which is just one goal per game.