Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia is a name that Indian football fans should be aware of by now. The youngster has been tearing it up in the I-League and is now close to breaking the record held by Sunil Chhetri for the most goals scored by an Indian, a truly remarkable feat.
This season, the Aizawl FC centre-forward has been in spectacular form. He has scored 13 goals and provided 3 assists in 17 games thus far, overtaking Bidyashagar’s record of 12 goals in a single season.
Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia: India’s next big striker?
👤 17 Appearances
— 90ndstoppage (@90ndstoppage) March 18, 2024
⚽️ 13 Goals
🅰️ 3 Assists
🏅 I-League Indian top scorer
Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia is in some hot form this season 🔥
He’s overtaken Bidyashagar’s 12 goal tally and is 2 goals away from breaking Sunil Chhetri’s record of most goals by an Indian in I-league 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/NcDDSihU5o
Here’s why the Mizo forward is exciting news for all Indian football fans – he is one of the only centre-forwards to be starting regularly for an Indian club. The ISL is full of instances where prolific centre-forward spots go to foreigners.
And in the process, Sunil Chhetri has been left as the only natural striker in the national team that receives regular game time at the club level. Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia has time on his side, aged 23, and could make a significant impact if he can make the jump to the ISL in the near future, where he will have a lot more visibility and opportunity to improve his game further.
There have been rumours of a possible move to Jamshedpur FC at the end of the season, but an official announcement has not been made yet. If it indeed goes through, it would be a huge signing for the Men of Steel going into the new season.
