Sunil and I complement each other: Jeje

The Mizo striker, who is enjoying a dream run of form scoring goals on a regular basis at the domestic and the international level, made special mention of his partnership with Chhetri during India's preparatory camp here ahead of the Hero Intercontinental Cup.

"Sunil bhai is most senior amongst us and he leads us by example. But, what I would like to say is that that we work cohesively as a complete unit. We complement each other on the field to get the job done," Lalpekhlua said.

Lalpekhlua, who is three matches short of 50 International caps for India, added that everyone in the team is willing to share the burden and carry the responsibility.

"It's not only me and Sunil-bhai. Balwant (Singh), Alen (Deory), Manvir (Singh) are all ready to give it a shot. We all are confident to shoulder the responsibility and deliver when the situation demands," he said.

India plays Chinese Taipei in the tournament opener at the Mumbai Football Arena on Friday.

The 2016 AIFF Player of the Year also said that he has learnt a lot from the ups and downs in his life since his international debut against Chinese Taipei in 2011.

"It has been a long journey for me since 2011. I have learnt so many things. I was going through a rough phase after the knee injury. I was struggling and was hardly getting an opportunity to prove myself," Lalpekhlua said.

"As a striker you need to grab the opportunity and also need the backing of your coach. That helps you to improve as a player and gives you confidence."