Hockey India has named a 20-member national squad for the upcoming FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, featuring a good balance between international experience and emerging young talent. The World Cup will be played in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30.
Ace defender and drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh will lead the team, while veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh, India’s most-capped player, brings crucial big-tournament maturity to the middle of the pitch.
Speaking on the squad selection, Chief Coach Craig Fulton emphasised that form and tactical execution were the key metrics for inclusion.
“This is a well-balanced squad – the right mix of tournament experience and in-form youth who’ve earned their spot through performance, not reputation,” Fulton said.
“Press, counter, perform isn’t just our tactical identity – it’s how this group trains and thinks together every single day. We are not getting ahead of ourselves – one game at a time, all in, is the mentality we’re taking into every match.”
The goalkeeping duties will be shared by Mohith HS and Suraj Karkera. Harmanpreet heads a solid defensive line-up that includes Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, and Yashdeep Siwach.
In midfield, the experienced trio of Manpreet, Hardik Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad are joined by Nilakanta Sharma alongside promising youngsters Rajinder Singh and Aditya Arjun Lalage. The forward line will feature Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, and Shilanand Lakra.
Four players from the recent 24-member FIH Pro League squad, defender Amandeep Lakra, midfielders Raj Kumar Pal and Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, and forward Selvam Karthi, have been omitted.
CAN INDIA END LONG WAIT?
The team will be eager to move past a difficult FIH Pro League campaign last month, where India finished eighth among nine teams with four wins, five draws, and seven defeats.
Improving India’s recent World Cup trajectory remains a primary objective. India finished ninth in the 2023 edition on home soil and have not secured a World Cup medal since winning gold at Kuala Lumpur in 1975-following a silver in Amsterdam in 1973 and a bronze in Barcelona in 1971.
Drawn in Pool D alongside England, Wales, and traditional rivals Pakistan, India will play all their pool-stage fixtures at Amstelveen in the Netherlands. They open their campaign against Wales on 15 August, before facing England on 17 August and taking on Pakistan on 19 August in one of the most anticipated matches of the group stage.
Reflecting on the milestone ahead, Fulton added: “Fifty years since 1975, this group has a chance to write its own chapter in Indian hockey history, and we are really excited about it.”
INDIA SQUAD FOR HOCKEY WORLD CUP 2026
Goalkeepers: Mohith HS, Suraj Karkera.
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (c), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach.
Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad.
Forwards: Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek.
– Ends
