He plays as the striker of the Indian Football Team and plays the local league of Indian Super League from the Bengaluru FC. He is a top goal scorer of all time in the Indian National Team with 68 goals in 108 played matches. He started his professional career at Mohun Bagan in the year 2002. He guided team India towards winning the 2007 Nehru Cup, 2009 Nehru Cup, the 2012 Nehru Cup as well as the 2011 SAFF Championship.

He was even named as the AIFF Player of the Year for a record of five times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017. In 2011, he received Arjuna Award for his brilliant skills and leadership quality. In 2019, he received the honour of being the Padma Shri Awardees’. In the same year on February 18, he became the first recipient of Football Ratna Award by the Delhi Football Association.

From 2008 to till now he played for numerous clubs and marked his presence with his talent in each club. On April 14, 2010, he made his International Career debut for the Wizards in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against Colorado Rapids in a qualifying game. In that game he was out of the game with a yellow card at half-time. He was also named as the ‘Asian Icon’ on the eve of his 34th Birthday by the American Football Conference.