IND vs PAK: India beat Pakistan 4-0 in SAFF Championship; Sunil Chhetri kicked a hat trick. Check out full Details

IND vs PAK: Sunil Chhetri and his team delivered a top-notch performance against arch-rivals Pakistan in Team India's opening match yesterday at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Sunil Chhetri's hat trick helped India beat Pakistan 4-0 in SAFF Championship 2023.

Just a few days after lifting the Intercontinental Cup, India's men's football team commenced their SAFF Championship title defense on Wednesday with a convincing victory over Pakistan at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

India loves to play against Pakistan and we have a terrific record against Pakistan in football as well. Be it a cricket match or a football match, Pakistan remains Pakistan! A blunder from Pakistani goalkeeper Saqib Hanif cost them a goal in the first 10th minute of the game.

The match's second goal was eventually scored by Sunil Chhetri six minutes later. India led the match 2-0 at the half. In the 74th minute of the game, Sunil Chhetri scored the third goal to complete his hat-trick. At the 81-minute mark, substitute Udanta added another goal to make the score 4-0 in favor of India in IND vs PAK SAFF Championship.

India carried their experience and class into the game right from the start. Pakistan offered some patchy resistance, but on a rainy evening at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, they could not equal India's coherence and intent.

Sunil Chhetri moved into second place among Asian goal scorers in international football with his hat-trick against Pakistan yesterday. The tally is led by Iranian Ali Daei, who has scored 109 goals in 149 games. Chhetri has now 90 strikes under his belt.

"Happy to keep a clean sheet, happy to start the tournament. Matches in these kinds of conditions are never easy. Happy people turned up, this is amazing, this is what we play for," said Chhetri after the IND vs PAK match.

In the tournament's history, Pakistan's best finish was third place in 1997, when they advanced to the semifinals. India is in excellent shape as Sunil Chhetri and the company have gone six games without losing in recent months.

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