India's all-time top-scorer Sunil Chhetri will return to the national team for this month's international break, just nine months after announcing retirement from international football.
Chhetri last played for India in June against Kuwait in a 0-0 draw in Kolkata -- a result that played a role in the team missing out on qualifying for the next round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Since then, Igor Stimac's position as head coach has been taken over by Manolo Marquez, and now for the first time in his reign, he will be able to call upon Chhetri's services. Since Chhetri's retirement, Marquez has taken charge of four games, in which India have only scored two goals -- a superb Farukh Choudhary effort in Vietnam and a Rahul Bheke header off a corner against Malaysia in Hyderabad in November.
In those four games, Marquez has tried a variety of options in that striker's role, including Manvir Singh, Irfan Yadwad and Farukh, but rare flashes aside, none of them have managed to conjure a consistent threat in front of goal, even though Yadwad's hold-up play was impressive in that draw against Malaysia.
Goal-scoring without Chhetri has been an issue and Marquez has gone for the simplest solution in recalling the country's most reliable scorer. Chhetri's ISL form has definitely played a role too.
The Bengaluru FC captain has had a brilliant season in the ISL. He's by far the top Indian goalscorer this season, as Gerard Zaragoza's men hunt down a finish in the league's top four. Chhetri has scored 12 goals in 23 appearances for his club this season, five more than any other Indian has managed. The next best goalscorer is FC Goa's Brison Fernandes who has scored seven times.
Chhetri's minutes were carefully managed at the start of the season, but off late, he has been a regular starter in Bengaluru's front three, alongside Edgar Mendez and Ryan Williams. He has stepped up in some big games, not least against the Kerala Blasters at home, when he scored a hat trick in a 4-2 win. He has also scored a few clutch goals to win Bengaluru points this season, particularly the away games against Mohammedan SC and East Bengal.