India will have a final opportunity to check their game in pressure situation when they face Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on Sunday in what would be a dress rehearsal ahead of the marquee Women's World Cup semifinals against Australia next Wednesday.
India thrashed Malaysia 4-1 in their second Super 4 stage match of the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament in Rajgir, Bihar, on Thursday.
World champions Amanjot and Harleen get grand welcome in Chandigarh
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
'I had a feeling from within that this tournament (Asia Cup) would be something special, but I did not think that I would become the player-of-the-tournament.'
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh slammed a brace as the Indian men's hockey team outplayed Spain 4-1 in a FIH Pro League match in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Indian men's team ends Pro League campaign with 4-3 win against Belgium
After retiring from international hockey in 2012, Abbas kept a low profile. He took up his first coaching role as an assistant coach for penalty corners with the Malaysia national team in October 2024.
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.
Shafali toils in India nets ahead of World Cup semifinal against Australia
Sania Mirza, the tennis icon, made a dazzling entry at the fifth Indian Sports Honours event, donning a stunning floral blazer suit.
Harmanpreet Kaur was on Thursday retained as India captain for the three Women's ODIs against New Zealand while the selectors also picked four uncapped players for the series starting October 24.
Under pressure to revive their campaign after back-to-back defeats, India will have to consider adding a sixth bowler to bring more balance to their attack when they face England in a crucial Women's ODI World Cup match, in Indore, on Sunday.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh wants the young Indian hockey players to get familiar with the playing styles of the best teams in the world during the FIH Pro League, and hoped the country would seal a direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a title-winning run in Bhubaneswar.
'Shafali is in our system, we have our eye on her and the more she plays she will be able to serve India in the future in ODIs.'
After being outplayed in the opener, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team roared back with a stunning 102-run victory, which was Australia's heaviest defeat in terms of runs. It was also India's first win over them in 12 matches.
Both teams began their World Cup campaigns in contrasting fashion. Hosts India defeated Sri Lanka by 59 runs, while Pakistan, collapsed against Bangladesh, losing by seven wickets in a match where they struggled against both pace and spin.
'The only thought was that we have to give it all in those seven hours for our country.'
The Netherlands struck the winning goal two minutes from the final whistle through Van Dam Thijs (58th minute), who also scored the equalising goal in the 25th minute.
Harmanpreet's penalty corners and Akashdeep's strike helped India down their arch-rivals.
'We haven't won the tournament for a while and the objective is to be No.1 in Asia and we will be pushing hard for the next 10 days.'
India's chief coach Craig Fulton lamented that they lacked firepower up front and their mock penalty corner drills failed to deliver as they suffered a 0-2 defeat to world champions Germany
Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning and Harmanpreet Kaur were some of the big names retained by their respective franchises for the next edition of the Women's Premier League.
Hockey India has announced a 24-member Indian men's team for the European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League, set to be played in Amstelveen, Netherlands and Antwerp, Belgium, from June 7.
The 2026 men's hockey World Cup will be held from August 14 to 30 in Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands.
Maninder Singh (51') and Harmanpreet found the back of the net to extend Soorma's lead further and even though Gursahibjit Singh (56') pulled a goal back in the dying minutes, Soorma walked away with all three points.
India's Harmanpreet Singh was crowned as Men's Player Of The Year and his former compatriot PR Sreejesh was named Men's Goalkeeper Of The Year, announced the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday.
The four dropped catches let Australia, who would be India's toughest opponents apart from England in the women's World Cup scheduled later this month, off the hook and they managed to finish the task of chasing 281 runs in double-quick time.
Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy is likely to be fit for India's women's World Cup 2025 opener against Sri Lanka on September 30 after figuring in the second warm-up match against New Zealand and taking two wickets in nine overs on Saturday.
Vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh slammed a hat-trick as the Indian men's hockey team beat Wales 4-1 in its final Pool B match to qualify for the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Thursday.
Harmanpreet Kaur climbed to the joint ninth spot while opener Smriti Mandhana remained fourth in the latest ICC Women's ODI rankings
The Indian women's cricket team will look to end a 47-year wait for its maiden ICC title when it takes the field at the ODI World Cup starting with a clash against Sri Lanka.
'This Indian team is eager to thrive in the challenging conditions and ready to write a glorious chapter in the rich history of Indian cricket, says India captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
A distraught Harmanpreet Kaur slammed India's below-par showing after they suffered a 58-run thrashing at the hands of New Zealand in their Women's T20 World Cup opening match.
India's star drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh was on Tuesday named among the five nominees for the men's Player of the Year honour.
IMAGES from the WPL match played between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Amol Muzumdar never experienced the highs of an India cricketer but now he is a World Cup winning head coach -- only the third in the history of Indian cricket after Gary Kirsten and Rahul Dravid.
India men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh has two Olympic bronze medals in his cabinet, but rues missing out on World Cup glory.
'I think everyone's shot selections at that time... we could have done better with our shot selections.'
MI will aim to seal their direct qualification to the final by finishing at the top when they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final league match on Tuesday.
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