The Indian skipper has played four matches against Bangladesh in the past...
India are all set to take on Bangladesh in a 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualification match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.
This will be the fifth time that India's ace striker Sunil Chhetri will be facing Inid in his illustrious and long international career.
Chhetri, who is India’s all-time highest goalscorer with 72 goals has faced Bangladesh only four times in the past and has scored three goals.
The last time, the talismanic striker was on target for the Blue Tigers against Bangladesh was back in 2014 in an international friendly in Goa where he scored a brace in a 2-2 draw.
The previous encounter between India and Bangladesh was in 2019 in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The match ended in a 1-1 draw at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
All Sunil Chhetri goals and matches against Bangladesh
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 3, 2013 | SAFF Championship | Kathmandu | Bangladesh 1-1 India | 1 |
| March 5, 2014 | International friendly | Goa | Bangladesh 2-2 India | 2 |
| August 20, 2007 | Nehru Cup | New Delhi | India 1-0 Bangladesh | 0 |
| October 15, 2019 | 2022 World Cup Qualifiers | Kolkata | India 1-1 Bangladesh | 0 |
How are India doing in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers?
India started their World Cup qualification 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.
They resume their campaign against Qatar on June 3, followed by Bangladesh and Afghanistan on June 7 and June 15 respectively. All the matches of India's group are hosted by Qatar.
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.
What next for the Indian national team?
India are set to take on Bangladesh next on Monday, June 7, and will finish their campaign with a match against Afghanistan on June 15. India's target will now be to finish third in Group E and avoid a play-off to get into the Asian Cup qualifiers.
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