Hockey India on Wednesday named a familiar side, led by veteran drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh for the upcoming men’s Asia Cup, scheduled to be held at the recently developed Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar from August 29 to September 7.
The 18-member squad features a strong group of experienced campaigners, with depth and balance across all departments. 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.
India is placed in Pool A alongside Japan, China and Kazakhstan, and will begin their campaign against China on August 29, before facing Japan on August 31 and Kazakhstan on September 1.
The selection largely reflected the established core of players, with focus on the forthcoming World Cup.
The trio of Rajinder Singh, Shilanand Lakra and Dilpreet Singh 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 goalkeeping duties will be shared by the dependable Krishan B Pathak and Suraj Karkera.
In defence, captain Harmanpreet and Amit Rohidas will be joined by Jarmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay and Jugraj Singh, providing solidity at the back.
The midfield engine room comprises Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rajinder, Raj Kumar Pal and Hardik Singh. Leading the attack, the forward line will be spearheaded by Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand, 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, 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.
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 and Selvam Karthi