A hardcore political activist during his student days at Aligarh Muslim University and now a football administrator, Sharafatullah vividly remembers the evening he forced the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) to delay a crucial local league match for a schoolboy.

In 2001, Sharafatullah's Delhi Walled City outfit, City FC, was to play title favourites Hindustan Club at Ambedkar Stadium. "That season, we had recruited a 16-year-old schoolboy, Sunil Chhetri," says Sharafatullah. "That day, Sunil was writing an examination. I fought tooth and nail with league officials to postpone the start till he rushed in with the schoolbag on his back and soccer kit in hand."

The schoolboy is now the captain of the Indian national team and a prolific scorer - 64 international goals in 102 appearances. But the question is: can he be ranked with India's fin-est strikers?

Opinion about India's best players, particularly strikers, is always subjective and divided. There is, to begin with, the question of generations. There have been such greats as Chuni Goswami, P.K. Banerjee, Tulsidas Balaram. But Chhetri's career and achievement already matches yesteryear legends. India made it to the final rounds of the Asian Cup in 2011 and 2019 after long and hard-fought qualifiers and both times his contribution was unforgettable.

Chhetri is the only Indian footballer to score three hat-tricks in international football. The first three-goal blitz came against Tajikistan on a rainy Delhi evening in the AFC Challenge Cup final in 2008. It was a momentous occasion for Indian football as Chhetri's incredible game saw India qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup for the first time since 1984.

A decade on, Chhetri has still not lost his sharpness. Without his superb strikes against Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan, India would not have qualified for the 2019 Asian Cup. His two goals changed the complexion of the matches. India qualified from Group A with two matches to spare. Out of India's 11 goals across six matches, the captain scored four in five games.

The goal against Myanmar in Yangon was historic as it was India's first victory against the neighbours in an away tie since 1953. Chhetri himself is overwhelmed by the strike. He tells The Telegraph, "It was in the 90th minute and the match was still goalless. When Udanta [Singh] passed the ball at goalmouth, I was still far behind. Believe me, I simply burst my lungs out and ran. The Myanmar defenders were ahead of me but I told myself I have to get it."

The other goal that Chhetri treasures much is also from a match against Myanmar. It was the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup semifinals in Hyderabad. Once again it was raining heavily, running on the pitch was difficult, let alone controlling the ball. To add to it, Chhetri was injured; he joined Bhaichung Bhutia upfront with stitches on his forehead. He recalls, "Our coach, Bob [Houghton], told me and Bhai [Bhutia] to stay upfront no matter how much pressure Myanmar put on us. In the 82nd minute, when Surkumar [Singh] sent the ball at goalmouth, I leapt in the air to head in... India reached the finals."

Equally stunning was his strike against Kyrgyzstan in Bangalore that set the pace for India's qualification. The diminutive striker dodged three defenders, passed the ball for Jeje Lalpekhlua and on receiving it back, struck home deftly.

Former India star and coach Subhash Bhowmick observed after Chhetri struck eight of India's 11 goals in the Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai recently, "I find his focus and dedication amazing. His entire approach to the game is so serious that it has made him the most consistent striker in the history of Indian football even though he is 32."

As striker, Chhetri's consistency remains unmatched. His remarkable form in the last couple of years was the primary reason why India could secure a Fifa ranking among the top 100 for the first time in 25 years. In 2018, Chhetri has played 23 matches in the domestic and international circuits, and found the net 23 times.

None of Chhetri's predecessors could strike with such unfailing regularity in international football - not even mercurial forwards such as I.M. Vijayan (40 goals) or Bhutia (42 goals). As far as full-fledged official internationals are concerned, Goswami, Banerjee and Balaram, all put together, scored less than 50 goals. Of course, India played fewer "internationals" in those days.

"I am impressed with the way Chhetri cuts inside the box diagonally every time he receives a positive through pass. He is a deadly striker. Some people may not like me for saying this, but this boy is the finest Indian striker in many, many years," says Prasun Banerjee, a former India captain and member of Parliament.

Not all former players, though, are as convinced. Some have questioned the quality of India's rivals since Chhetri began his international career in 2005. All the more reason why it is about time we ran a reality check on Indian football and the stories of its glory days.

First, the much-publicised story of India securing fourth place at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The fact is, a spate of withdrawals saw India reach the semifinals by winning their only match against Australia. They lost the semifinals against Yugoslavia and the third place game to Bulgaria to finish fourth.

Withdrawals benefited India in the 1964 Asian Cup too. All other countries in the West Zone qualifiers pulled out. In the final rounds in Tel Aviv, India won against South Korea and Hong Kong but lost to Israel to clinch second place.

India's greatest moment, however, came in 1962, at the Jakarta Asian Games. A bunch of highly talented boys outclassed Thailand, Japan, South Vietnam and South Korea to win the gold medal. A mind-blowing performance but it was an age of amateur football. There was no definite system to gauge the strength of the teams. Fifa introduced the monthly ranking system much later - only in the 1990s.

Asian football has undergone sea change in the last 30 years - India's rivals are now thorough professionals. Chhetri constantly faces smart defenders, many of whom play in different European leagues. Domestic football is no more the domain of a few traditional sides. The clubs are now mostly of equal strength, packed with foreigners. It makes the job of strikers tougher. Chhetri's 14 goals in the 2017-18 Indian Super League speak highly of his scoring ability.

Sir Neville Cardus famously described the cricket scoreboard as an ass. But in football, goals remain the essence of the game and scorers receive all the attention. Beginning March 2015 to date, Chhetri has scored 21 international goals in 32 matches - an extraordinary consistency by any standard. It may appear unfair to compare two different eras but, no other Indian striker has been able to match Chhetri's feat in India's 70 years in international football.