Former India captain and Bengaluru FC striker Sunil Chhetri became the most capped player in Indian Super League history as his side beat Jamshedpur FC 1-0 in a hard-fought match on Saturday. The first-half strike from Ryan Williams (38th minute) proved decisive in the contest where Jamshedpur dominated large spells, but failed to find a breakthrough. The 41-year-old Chhetri, who was not named in the starting XI, was brought on from the bench in the 85th minute in place of Namgyal Bhutia, making him the most-capped player in ISL history with 195 appearances. The legendary striker has retired from international football in 2025.
The result saw Bengaluru FC climb to fourth in the ISL table with 20 points from 12 matches, while Jamshedpur FC remain third on 21 points, level with East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who are the top two in the standings.
Bengaluru began brightly, winning a string of early corners and testing the Jamshedpur defence, where Sarthak Golui and Pratik Chaudhari stood firm under pressure.
The visitors continued to probe, with Braian Sánchez and Sirojiddin Kuziev both attempting efforts from distance, though neither troubled Albino Gomes.
Jamshedpur gradually grew into the contest, with Madih Talal at the heart of their attacking play. The midfielder combined effectively with Nikola Stanković and Sanan Mohammed, creating the Red Miners’ first real opportunity in the 15th minute when Raphael Messi Bouli’s long-range effort forced Gurpreet Singh Sandhu into action.
The game opened up into an end-to-end contest, with both sides showing intent in the final third but lacking precision. Jamshedpur thought they had taken the lead midway through the half when Pratik Chaudhari guided the ball home from a set-piece, only for the effort to be ruled out for an offside.
Bengaluru, however, made their dominance count in the 38th minute. A well-weighted long ball from Rahul Bheke found Lalremtluanga Fanai, who cushioned it into the path of Williams. The midfielder fired a low shot through a crowded defender’s legs inside box and into the bottom corner to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.
The second half saw Jamshedpur take control, committing more bodies forward in search of an equaliser. Madih Talal and Stanković dictated play in midfield, while Sanan continued to threaten down the left. Messi Bouli came close early on, but Gurpreet made himself big to deny the striker in a one-on-one situation.
As the pressure mounted, Jamshedpur created several half-chances, with Stanković and later Vincy Barretto both missing narrowly from distance.
Bengaluru, meanwhile, looked to hit on the counter, with Fanai testing Albino Gomes from range.
Owen Coyle introduced fresh legs in the final quarter, as Jamshedpur intensified their attacking efforts. However, Bengaluru’s defensive unit, led by Rahul Bheke and Chinglensana Singh, held their shape well and executed their offside trap effectively.
In the closing stages of the match, Jamshedpur pushed relentlessly, with Stephen Eze and Messi Bouli both coming close, but Gurpreet produced a series of composed interventions to preserve his side’s lead. Bouli had a golden chance late in the match, but the Bengaluru goalkeeper stood his ground to clear the danger.
Despite a final surge deep into stoppage time, Jamshedpur were unable to break through as Bengaluru held on for a crucial away victory and hand Jamshedpur FC their first defeat of the season at the ‘Furnace’.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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