A couple of new faces will also been in the tournament while the likes of Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta Sharma will be making their last dance
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Harmanpreet Singh, captain of the Asian Games 2026 gold medal-winning Indian hockey team, and teammate Mandeep Singh arrive as they return from Japan at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday, October 05, 2026(Photo: IANS/Deepak Kumar)
We are just a day away from the start of the ninth edition of the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy where the Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, will enter as the reigning champions and also the most successful outfit in the tournament.
India will be vying for its record sixth Asian Champions Trophy title and there aren’t many reasons as to why they cannot go on to claim the silverwareThe team is on red-hot form and they are coming on the back of a sensational outing at the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya where the Indians earned qualification to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics by winning the gold medal.
It was the Indian team’s second consecutive first-place finish at the continental showpiece, but now the attention will switch to the coveted Asian Champions TrophyIndia will begin their campaign tomorrow against Bangladesh at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium which will host all of the group phase matches.
Major hockey tournament returns to Punjab after 17 years
The tournament returns to the nation after three years with Chennai hosting the 2023 editionMoreover, this will be the first time in 17 years that a hockey tournament will return to Punjab, which has been the centre of sport in India for several decades now.
The last time Punjab hosted an international tournament was the Gold Cup in 2009The likes of Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Rajinder Singh, Hardik Singh, Sukhjeet Singh and Dilpreet Singh will get the chance to finally play in front of local Punjabi crowd.
Another player based out of Punjab Manpreet Singh, though, will miss the tournament due to a calf injury with midfielder Vivek Sagar PrasadThe tournament is also expected to trigger a wave of nostalgia since Punjab has produced countless hokey legends for India.
Needless to say, India will be the overwhelming favourites as they are the highest ranked team among the other five participating nationsThey have also won the most titles in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024.
India’s schedule
The host nation will begin their Asian Champions Trophy campaign tomorrow (October 27) against Bangladesh before taking on China (Oct 29), Japan (Oct 30), Malaysia (November 1) and Korea (Nov 2).
Japan and Malaysia will pose the toughest challenge for the Indian team while the matches against Bangladesh, China and Korea would be relatively easierIndia will have the same squad in disposal that won the gold at the 2026 Asian Games.
The only few changes are Mohith HS who will replace Krishan Bahadur Pathak between the sticks whereas youngsters Amandeep Lakra and Aditya Lalage will also get the chance to play for India for the first time.
The top four teams from the league stages of the competition will progress to the semifinalsThe semifinals and the final will be played at Mohali on November 4 and 5.
Farewell for four senior figures
As reported earlier, four senior players – Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta Sharma – will play their last-ever tournament with the Indian team despite all of them wanting to continue till the LA Olympics.
Hockey India believes that this tournament is the right time for them to leave the national side in order for a smoother transition going forward.
India’s squad
Goalkeepers: Suraj Karkera and Krishan Bahadur Pathak.
Defenders: Sanjay, Harmanpreet Singh (captain), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh and Amandeep Lakra.
Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad.
Forwards: Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh.
Where to watch?
Fans can enjoy the match live on the JioHotstar app/website and the Star Sports TV channels.
