Sunil Chhetri scored a brace to help India beat Bangladesh 2-0 in a 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifier on Monday at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
With the two goals against Bangladesh, Chhetri now equals I.M Vijayan record of scoring the most number of goals (4) for India in a winning cause in World Cup qualifiers.
Vijayan, who served the Indian national team for 14 years, appeared in three editions of the World Cup qualifiers (1994, 1998 and 2002) and scored in all three editions where India had won. Four of Vijayan's goals have, crucially, come in winning causes.
After Chhetri and Vijayan, former India internationals Bikash Panji, Jules Alberto and Jo Paul Ancheri features in the list who have two goals each to their names.
India registered their first win in the ongoing 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The next face Afghanistan in the same venue on June 15 in their final match of the group stage.
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Top 5 goalscorers in matches which India have won in World Cup Qualifiers
| Player | Goals | Editions |
|---|---|---|
| I.M Vijayan | 4 | 1994 (2), 1998, 2002 |
| Sunil Chhetri | 4 | 2018 (2), 2022 (2) |
| Jo Paul Ancheri | 2 | 2002 (2) |
| Bikash Panji | 2 | 1986 (2) |
| Juler Alberto | 2 | 2002 |
India started their 2022 World Cup qualifying run with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Oman at home, followed by a historic goalless draw against Asian champions Qatar in Doha.
In their third and fourth matches, the Blue Tigers managed 1-1 draws against both Bangladesh and Afghanistan and then they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Oman away from home. In their sixth match, India went down 0-1 against Qatar in Doha on June 3 and they finally registered a 2-0 win on June 7 against Bangladesh.
How are India doing in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers?
In their final match of the group stage, India face Afghanistan on June 15. All the matches of India's group are hosted by Qatar.
AIFF
Current group standings
| Teams | Matches | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | +16 | 19 |
| Oman | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +7 | 12 |
| India | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 6 |
| Afghanistan | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -9 | 5 |
| Bangladesh | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | -13 | 2 |
What happens if India finish fourth or fifth?
If India finish fourth then also they can qualify for the Asian Cup qualifying third round if they finish amongst the four best fourth-placed teams across all groups. The remaining four fourth-placed teams will advance to the Asian Cup qualifying play-off round.
If India finish fifth in the table, then they will have to participate in the Asian Cup Qualifying play-off round.
Further reading
India's top goalscorers in World Cup Qualifiers
How to watch Bangladesh vs India
