India on July 21 announced their 20-member squad for FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 which will begin next month. Defender Amandeep Lakra, midfielders Raj Kumar Pal and Rabichandran Singh Moiranghthem, and forward Selvam Karthik couldn't make the cut due to squad size limit of the tournament. The four players were a part of the 24-member FIH Pro League squad.
"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,” chief coach Craig Fulton said.
India’s full squad for Hockey World Cup 2026 -
Goalkeepers: Mohith HS and Suraj Karkera
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (c), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit and Yashdeep Siwach
Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma and Vivek Sagar Prasad
Forwards: Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Abhishek.
India vs Pakistan on August 19
India are placed in Pool D alongside England, Pakistan and Wales. India will begin their campaign against Wales on August 15. They will face England on August 17 and then lock horns against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 19. All three of India’s group stage matches will be played in Amstelveen, the Netherlands.
India finished 8th in FIH Pro League
Harmanpreet-led India have not been in the best of forms. They managed to win just four, played five draws and lost seven games in FIH Pro League. They managed to finish ninth, just above bottom-placed Pakistan.
India had wrapped up their campaign with a win over England via penalty shootout. Before that, India beat Pakistan 7-1.
Will India end their long wait?
In the last edition, India finished ninth. The only time they won the Hockey World Cup was in 1975 on Malaysian soil. Since then, India have not made it to the semifinals. Fulton is excited about the upcoming edition.
“Fifty years since 1975 (World Cup win), this group has a chance to write its own chapter in Indian hockey history, and we are really excited about it," Fulton concluded.