New Delhi: There were no major surprises in the 18-member Indian men’s hockey team picked for the upcoming Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar with mid-fielder Rajinder Singh, and forwards Shilanand Lakra and Dilpreet Singh retaining their places in the squad, announced on Wednesday.
The tournament is scheduled to be held from August 29 to September 7 and the winner will earn direct qualification to next year’s FIH men’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Belgium and Netherlands from August 14 to 30.
Ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh will continue to serve as captain of the team.
The trio of Rajinder, Lakra and Dilpreet was also part of the jumbo squad for the preceding tour of Australia. Rajinder came in for Shamsher Singh, Lakra is filling in for the recently-retired Lalit Upadhyay, and Dilpreet was preferred over Gurjant Singh who was ignored for the matches against Australia.
Striker Lalit Upadhyay had retired from international hockey after the European leg of the FIH Pro League in June.
The selection largely reflected the established core of players, with focus on the forthcoming World Cup.
The squad overall features a strong group of experienced campaigners, with depth and balance across all departments.
The World Cup qualifying tournament places India in Pool A with Japan, China, and Kazakhstan. Hosts India will begin their campaign against China on August 29, before facing Japan on August 31 and Kazakhstan on September 1.
The goalkeeping duties will be shared by Krishan B Pathak and Suraj Karkera.
In defence, Harmanpreet and Amit Rohidas will be joined by Jarmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay, and Jugraj Singh.
The midfield engine room comprises Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rajinder, Raj Kumar Pal, and Hardik Singh.
The forward line will be spearheaded by Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lakra, and Dilpreet, offering plenty of firepower to trouble opposition defences.
Meanwhile, Nilam Sanjeep Xess and Selvam Karthi have been named as alternate athletes.
Speaking on the team selection, head coach Craig Fulton said, “We’ve gone with an experienced squad that understands what it takes to perform in high-pressure situations.”
“The Asia Cup is crucial for us because qualification for the World Cup is at stake, so we needed players who have the composure, resilience, and know-how to deliver.
“The selection reflects our intent — to put forward a team that can compete strongly and achieve our main objective.”
“I’m very pleased with the balance and quality across the squad. We have leaders in every line — defence, midfield, and attack — and that collective strength is what excites me the most. I think the way this team can play together will be our strongest asset,” he added.
Indian squad:
GOALKEEPERS: Krishan B Pathak, Suraj Karkera
DEFENDERS: Sumit, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh
MIDFIELDERS: Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad
FORWARDS: Mandeep Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh
ALTERNATE ATHLETES: Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Selvam Karthi.
