New Delhi: The Indian men’s hockey team for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 has been announced. While announcing the 20-member team, Hockey India has once again given the responsibility of captaincy to experienced defender Harmanpreet Singh. This prestigious tournament will be held in Belgium and Netherlands between 15th to 30th August.
In the World Cup, India has been placed in Pool D along with England, Pakistan and Wales. The Indian team will play all its group matches at the Wagner Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Team India will start the campaign against Wales on 15th August. After this, the match against England will be played on 17th August, while the much awaited India-Pakistan match will be played on 19th August. The top two teams from each group will advance to the next stage.
Along with experienced players, young talents have also been given place in the Indian team. Midfielder Manpreet Singh, who has played the most international matches, will bring experience to the team, while many young players have got a chance based on their recent performances.
Head coach Craig Fulton expressed satisfaction over the team selection and said that the players have been selected on the basis of their current form and performance. He expressed confidence that this balanced team is capable of giving a tough challenge to the top teams of the world. Fulton said that the team’s full focus will be on each match and a strategy will be adopted to give its best performance in every match.
The Indian hockey team has so far won the Men’s Hockey World Cup title only in 1975. In such a situation, the 2026 tournament is being considered a golden opportunity for India to win the second World Cup. Recently, India had performed brilliantly in the FIH Pro League by defeating current world champion Germany and Olympic champion Netherlands, which has also boosted the team’s confidence.
Goalkeeper: Mohit HS, Suraj Karkera
Defender: Harmanpreet Singh (captain), Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach
Midfielder: Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Neelkant Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad
Forward: Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjit Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek
