India vs Pakistan: Chhetri’s hat-trick marred by on-field brawl

India ran riot over Pakistan in a 4-0 win in the second game of the 2023 SAFF Championship.

The India vs Pakistan match, that kicked off on Wednesday at 7:30 PM, lived up to its billing. The first match in five years between these rivals ticked off every box. It had great individual performances, fights between players, and a red card too!

India lives up to ‘favourite’ billing and dispatches Pak with ease

India are favourites to win this year’s SAFF Championship – winning the competition a record eight times previously – and lived up to the hype. They finished the game 4-0, and they could have had more.

Captain Sunil Chhetri led with examples, as he scored a stunning hat-trick. Despite the fact that he will turn 39 in August, he continues to be India’s best player by some distance, and the hat-trick cemented his position. The other player to get his name on the score sheet was Udanta Singh.

Stimac sent off as India vs Pakistan descends into chaos

The game, which was being dominated by the Indian team both on field and on the scoreline, descended into farce right before half-time. It began as Indian manager Igor Stimac knocked the football out of an opponent’s half, who was about to take a throw-in. This provoked a melee between the two teams, and Stimac was rightly sent off by the referee. The Pakistani manager was cautioned as well.

However, despite this chaos, India held on to its lead and added more goals to the tally to win the first match of the tournament.

India face Nepal for the next match, which will kick off on June 24.