India booked their place in the semi-finals of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2026 with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Japan in their second Pool A match in Auckland on Tuesday.
Captain Salima Tete led from the front, while Lalremsiami scored the winner as India registered their second straight victory of the tournament. The match was also a memorable one for midfielder Jyoti, who made her 100th senior international appearance.
The first half was closely contested, with both teams creating chances but unable to find a breakthrough before the interval. India finally broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute through a well-worked penalty corner. Navneet Kaur’s strike was cleverly redirected by Nikki Pradhan into the path of Salima, who made no mistake in putting the ball into the net.
Japan responded quickly and drew level just two minutes later when Hiramitsu Ai converted a penalty corner to make it 1-1. With the contest finely balanced, Lalremsiami produced the decisive moment in the final quarter.
In the 49th minute, Sushila Chanu delivered a precise pass into the circle and Lalremsiami was perfectly placed to deflect it home and restore India’s lead. India then defended resolutely in the closing stages to seal the victory and confirm a semi-final berth with one pool match still to play.
The win takes India to the top of Pool A with six points from two matches after earlier defeating the USA. They will now face Uruguay in their final group-stage game on June 18, while Japan and the USA will battle for the remaining semi-final spot from the pool.