After a dismal eighth place finish in Rio Games, much is expected from the Manpreet-led side.
Senior drag-flicker Sandeep Singh and forward Shivendra Singh today returned to the Indian men's hockey team for the FIH World League Round 3 (semi-finals) to be held at Rotterdam, The Netherlands from June 13-23.
Images from the opening day's action in the FIH men's Hockey World Cup in Odisha.
After Sunday's win, India remained at second spot in the league standings with 16 points from eight matches, behind Netherlands. Argentina also remained at fourth spot with 11 points from six matches.
India have been clubbed with Olympic champions Belgium, mighty Australia, Rio Games gold medallist Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
Going by the hockey parent body's new data collection, India and Pakistan have met in only 47 head-to-head internationals and many more fails. Read on to find out how the history of this famed rivalry is being binned
The Netherlands Robert Van der Horst and Lidewij Welten won the men's and women's International Hockey Federation (FIH) Player of the Year awards, respectively, for their performances in 2015.
He expects the players to maintain intensity throughout a match and not just in patches.
Asked about the lack of goals as India have scored just two in as many matches, Reid said, "There is no specific reason for that. I would have been worried if we were not creating opportunities."
In the shoot-out, the hosts won 3-2 to pocket two points (including a bonus) as against England's one.
Australia's Jamie Dwyer and Argentina's Augustina Garcia were named young men's and women's players respectively in the list of awardees, announced by the FIH on Thursday.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The big names who will be bidding for a podium finish before bidding farewell...
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) signed a major sponsorship deal with two-wheeler giant Hero MotoCorp for all events of the world body to be held in India in the next four years.
The lowest ranked team in the World Cup won 4-3 for their first victory in Pool A.
As if the failure to make it to the Beijing Olympics was not bad enough, India could miss out on hosting the 2010 men's hockey World Cup as well if the FIH is not satisfied with the steps taken to revive the game in the country.
The FIH too a dig at Hockey India for expressing its inability to conduct the much-awaited elections before May 31 and said FIH cannot grant any further extension as requested by the Indian body.
The other teams in India's pool are Spain, New Zealand and hosts Japan. The Pool B is made up of Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Canada and South Africa in the groupings announced by world governing body FIH on Saturday.
It was India who had the first opportunity to open the scoring but both the short corners went abegging as the home goalie foiled those attempts with his rock solid defence.
Pakistan hockey chief coach Shahnaz Shaikh has claimed that there was a conspiracy plotted against his team following the suspension of Mohammad Tousiq and Amjad Ali meted out in the recently held Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar.
Taking strong exception to FIH's "weak" censure to Pakistani players for their obscene behaviour after beating India in the Champions Trophy semi-final, Hockey India decided that it would not host any event sanctioned by the world body until strong punishment is handed out to the offenders.
HI Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh suggested that if the Pakistan hockey team can come to India, then the Men in Blue should also tour their neighbouring country.
India's medal prospects took a hit with the exclusion of hockey, shooting, cricket, badminton and wrestling from the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Reid submitted his resignation to Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, a day after the conclusion of the World Cup in Bhubaneswar
Under Manpreet's captaincy, the Indian team has achieved important milestones,
The men's team last participated in an international competition in February last year when they played the FIH Hockey Pro League matches against Australia in Bhubaneswar.
India are now atop the leaderboard with five points from two games, but the Manpreet Singh-led side conceded a point to the Netherlands after drawing (during the regulation time) the second match of the contest on Sunday.
Olympic champions Australia turned on the heat and romped to a 4-0 victory over Argentina for their first win in two Pool A matches.
The Indian duo of Prabhjot Singh and Surinder Kaur were named in the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Men and Women World All Star Teams announced on Thursday.
Former captain Rajpal Singh and veteran midfielder Ignace Tirkey were the notable omissions from an 18-member Indian hockey team announced for the FIH Men's Champions Challenge I from November 26 to December 4 in Johannesburg.
Harendra said a medal will be fitting farewell gift for long-serving goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who will quit the sport after the Paris Games.
The general impression that the Indian hockey team concedes late goals has changed with its second successive Olympic bronze medal and the Harmanpreet Singh-led side is one of the best in the world in all aspects, feels the legendary Zafar Iqbal.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) could take away next year's World Cup in New Delhi unless India forms a single national federation for the men's and women's game, its president Leandro Negre said. He said Malaysia is the standby venue but he was confident India would resolve the matter in time.
Indian team began its preparations for the FIH Men's Hockey World League semi-finals with a 2-0 win over hosts Netherlands on Tuesday.
India has been awarded the 2018 men's hockey World Cup, the second time in a span of eight years the country will be hosting the mega event.
12 Japanese players were seen on the field towards the end of their World Cup match against South Korea in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, prompting the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to investigate the matter.
Veteran captain Lee Nam Yong, 39, was also among the scorers as he struck the equalising goal in the 56th minute while Kim Sunghyun (18th) and Jeong Junwoo (20th) scored the other goals for the South Koreans in the regulation time.
Rupinderpal Singh scored twice as India survived a scare before eking out a 4-4 draw against lower-ranked Ireland in a hard-fought Pool B match in the men's competition of the FIH World League Round 3, in Rotterdam, on Thursday.
Three-time champs Australia confident of reclaiming World Cup
Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh on Monday said the Indian men's hockey side's main focus is qualifying for the Paris Olympics by winning the Asian Games this year besides giving opportunities to youngsters.
The Spaniards won the Pool A match in the men's hockey World Cup 3-1.
