With midfielder Rajinder Singh and forwards Shilanand Lakra and Dilpreet Singh keeping their spots in the squad, the 18-member Indian men’s hockey team selected for the 2018 Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, was announced on Wednesday with no big surprises.
The winner will receive direct qualification to the FIH men’s World Cup, which Belgium and the Netherlands will co-host from August 14 to August 30, next year. The competition is set to take place from August 29 to September 7.
The team will still be captained by ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh.
The big squad for the previous tour of Australia included Rajinder, Lakra, and Dilpreet as well. Lakra is replacing the recently retired Lalit Upadhyay, Rajinder replaced Shamsher Singh, and Dilpreet was picked over Gurjant Singh, who was left out of the games against Australia.
Following the FIH Pro League’s June European leg, striker Lalit Upadhyay announced his retirement from international hockey.
With an emphasis on the next World Cup, the selection mostly represented the core group of players that had already been established.
Overall, the squad consists of a solid collection of seasoned campaigners that have balance and depth in every department.
India is in Pool A of the World Cup qualifying campaign, along with China, Japan, and Kazakhstan. On August 29, hosts India will open their campaign against China. On August 31, they will take on Japan, and on September 1, they will take on Kazakhstan.
Together, Suraj Karkera and Krishan B. Pathak will share goalkeeping responsibilities. Jarmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay, and Jugraj Singh will join Harmanpreet and Amit Rohidas in defence. Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rajinder, Raj Kumar Pal, and Hardik Singh make up the midfield engine room.
Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lakra, and Dilpreet will lead the forward line, providing an abundance of firepower to challenge opposing defences. Selvam Karthi and Nilam Sanjeep Xess have been designated as backup players.
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.
