He also captained the national team and later on became the coach of the national team.[6] He represented India in 45 official matches and scored 15 official goals for the country.[3] He was one of the first recipients of Arjuna Award, when the awards were instituted in 1961. He was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri in 1990 and was named Indian Footballer of the 20th century by IFFHS.