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Over the years, the Indian Super League (ISL) has seen several Indian players come to the fore. Such has been the impact of the league that managers have found little need for overseas goalkeepers and have chosen to field domestic custodians instead. This has seen the rise of players such as Mohammad Nawaz and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, both of whom have been terrific in the 2020-21 ISL.
In contrast, the attacking department has seen very few Indian players getting a chance. With managers opting to predominantly play overseas talents in the midfield and attack, domestic talent has taken a backseat. Most attacking players from India are resigned to making their mark from the bench.
Looking at the stats from the inception of the ISL, very few Indian players are featured in the top 10 of the scoring charts. This is something several clubs are aiming to correct in the coming seasons. However, there are some Indian players who have managed to get their names on the goalscorer's charts.
That said, let's take a look at three Indian players with the most goals in the history of the ISL.
#1 Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC)
Sunil Chhetri is a name that is synonymous with Indian football at the moment. Having taken over the mantle of scoring goals from Bhaichung Bhutia, Chhetri is among the few players to have played football abroad, most notably in the United States and Portugal.
At the moment, Chhetri has 40 goals from 77 games, having played for both Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC. He is currently 8 goals behind all-time top goal scorer Ferran 'Coro' Corominas and is the highest Indian goalscorer in the league as well.
At 36, it would seem as though Chhetri has lost a yard of pace, but the importance of his presence on the football pitch is profound. Since 2013, he has been the captain of Bengaluru FC. Out of the three goals scored by the Blues this season, Chhetri has netted one - a penalty that he converted against Chennaiyin FC to give his side their first win of the season.
#2 Jeje Lalpekhlua (SC East Bengal)
Although Jeje Lalpekhlua hasn't been able to break into the SC East Bengal starting XI, he is one of the top goalscorers in the ISL with 24 goals to his name. He had initially signed a loan deal with Chennaiyin FC in the inaugural season of the ISL in 2014. Lalpekhlua made the deal permanent the following season, emerging as one of the club's key players.
The 29-year-old played an important part in helping Chennaiyin FC claim the 2015 and the 2017-18 ISL titles. In fact, the year 2015 proved to be the most productive for Jeje. He helped the Indian national team to win the SAFF Championship, in addition to the plethora of personal accolades he achieved.
However, in recent times, Jeje's career has been on a downward spiral and he failed to make a single appearance in the 2019-20 ISL season. He was released, following which he signed for SC East Bengal. He is currently struggling to break into the side with Balwant Singh, Jacques Maghoma, and Anthony Pilkington currently occupying the top attacking places.
Jeje Lalpekhlua has made just one appearance for SC East Bengal in the ISL this season. He is likely to warm the bench in subsequent games as well, after rumors of a rift between Robbie Fowler and Jeje have emerged.
#3 Lallianzuala Chhangte (Chennaiyin FC)
Lallianzuala Chhangte is the rising star of Indian football at the moment. At 23, the youngster has managed to leapfrog the likes of Jackichand Singh and has 15 goals in 61 appearances at the ISL. The youngster had burst onto the scene in the 2017-18 season for the now-defunct Delhi Dynamos. He made a total of 38 appearances, scoring 10 goals in all competitions.
Predominantly deployed as a left-winger, Chhangte has been known to cut inwards and shoot with his right foot, which has seen him score many goals. It is further proved from the four goals he has scored for the Indian national team from 11 appearances.
Chhangte has a long way to go, not only in terms of his career, but also in his bid to catch up with Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua. It seems it is only a matter of time before he can accomplish the same. The 23-year-old is an important part of Csaba Laszlo's side for the ongoing season of the ISL.
