India striker Sunil Chhetri struck a hattrick as India thrashed Pakistan 4-0 in their opening match of the SAFF Championship 2023 at the Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in Bangalore on Wednesday.

India's record-man Chhetri reached another milestone as he overtook Malaysia's Mokhtar Dahari to occupy the fourth spot in the list of all-time goal-scorers in international matches. 

With 90 goals to his name in 138 international appearances, Sunil Chhetri is currently the third highest goal-scorer among active players in international matches, only behind Portuguese ace Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of Argentina. 

The 38-year-old found the net twice in the first-half and then converted a penalty in the second to complete his hattrick, while Udanta Singh Kumam scored the other to give India a comprehensive victory. 

The last time Pakistan played football in India in 2014 they drew a two-match series.

They faced off in the 2018 SAFF Championship in Bangladesh, with India winning 3-1.

India and Pakistan are in Group A of the eight-nation SAFF Championship, alongside Kuwait and Nepal. Group B features Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh.