Former India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has advised the current national team to manage World Cup pressure by trusting their preparation and enjoying the occasion. He expressed optimism about India's chances, aiming for a top-four finish in the upcoming FIH World Cup.
The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 is set to begin on August 15, with India featuring in both the men's and women's tournaments. Here is the complete India schedule, fixtures and squad details for the World Cup.
Wednesday's India-Pakistan World Cup match in Amstelveen saw players exchange handshakes, a gesture that has become contentious in India-Pakistan sporting encounters, particularly in cricket. While the Indian team dominated on the field, winning 5-3, the post-match handshakes led to mixed reactions online, highlighting the differing approaches to rivalry in hockey versus cricket.
Dutch hockey legend Taeke Taekema believes the Indian women's hockey team possesses the talent to replicate China's remarkable journey to an Olympic silver medal, provided they focus on fundamental skills and secure qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics.
Indian women's cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup and Asian Games due to a high-grade hamstring tear sustained during The Hundred tournament in England. Pratika Rawal has been named as her replacement for the Asia Cup.
The highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash at the FIH Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen is a complete sell-out, with tickets having been sold online in phases since September 2025.
India has announced a 20-member squad for the upcoming FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, with Harmanpreet Singh leading the team.
Veteran striker Navneet Kaur believes the Indian women's hockey team is inspired by the cricket team's ODI World Cup triumph and aims to script a similar title-winning story at the FIH Women's World Cup.
The Sports Ministry is set to commence the nomination process for the National Sports Awards next month, following a delayed announcement of the 2025 awards. The delay was due to a re-evaluation process aimed at preserving the integrity of the honours, which resulted in no Khel Ratna awardee for 2025 and fewer Arjuna awardees than recommended. The article also details the criteria for these prestigious awards and highlights some of the notable Arjuna awardees for 2025.
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana slipped one place to fifth in the batters' list, while all-rounder Deepti Sharma climbed to fourth among bowlers in the latest ICC Women's T20I Rankings.
Former India hockey star Pritam Siwach will watch son Yashdeep make his World Cup debut in the Netherlands, 28 years after her own World Cup appearance.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
England have widened their lead over reigning world champions India in the latest women's ODI rankings, sitting on a clear four-point lead at No. 2, while Harmanpreet Kaur's team are third in the list. Australia remain on top of the table with 163 ranking points.
Veteran Indian midfielder Manpreet Singh, preparing for his fourth and potentially final Hockey World Cup, expresses his determination to lead India to its first title in 51 years. He highlights the team's experience, preparation, and focus on fitness and defence, confident in their ability to reach the final.
India Women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasises the importance of the T20I series against South Africa for World Cup preparation, highlighting the need to provide opportunities to all players and build momentum.
Former India Women's cricketer Reema Malhotra has hailed the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side's historic Test victory over England at Lord's, drawing parallels between their win and Sourav Ganguly's iconic balcony celebration in 2002, stating, 'July 13 has become a memorable date in Indian cricket history.'
Smriti Mandhana is more suited to lead India in the longer formats after Harmanpreet Kaur's tenure ends while the much younger Shafali Varma can be handed the reins of the T20 side following another pre-mature exit from the World Cup, former captain legendary Mithali Raj said.
India all-rounder Deepti Sharma emphasised the importance of the first hour on day two of the one-off women's Test against England, aiming for early wickets to pressure the hosts. India posted 285 in their first innings, with half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti herself, before taking an early England wicket. Sharma also discussed the variable pitch conditions, which she expects to continue assisting bowlers.
The India Women's cricket team achieved a historic 270-run victory over England in their first-ever Test match at Lord's, sealing the win on the final morning with Sneh Rana taking the last wicket. Legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar was present, offering encouragement to the team and celebrating their landmark triumph.
Having registered a ninth-place finish in the 2023 edition held at Bhubaneswar, India will be aiming to bring the gold home, riding on the back of the momentum of two back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, an Asia Cup title win, two Asian Champions Trophy wins and an Asia Cup gold.
Former India women's cricket captain Anjum Chopra believes that merely replacing Harmanpreet Kaur as captain will not solve the fundamental issues plaguing the team, citing a significant lack of quality back-up options across all departments.
India will be desperate to overcome their fielding and batting woes when they take on six-time champions Australia in their final Group A clash at Lord's, in London, on Sunday.
Harmanpreet Kaur's rapid 56 helped India post 170 for four against Australia in a must-win Women's T20 World Cup match. Despite a strong start from openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, the middle order struggled for acceleration, leaving Harmanpreet to boost the total in the final overs.
India women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur stated that the ODI World Cup crown at home last year instilled the crucial confidence and self-belief needed to pursue more titles, including the upcoming T20 World Cup.
India's men's hockey team has experienced a varied journey in the World Cup, from winning bronze in 1971 and gold in 1975 to a prolonged period without a podium finish.
Indian men's hockey team chief coach Craig Fulton is focused on ending the 51-year World Cup medal drought, aiming for consistency and a strong performance at the upcoming tournament in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Indian women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur maintained the BCCI's 'No Handshake' policy with Pakistan's Fatima Sana at the toss of their T20 World Cup match, a policy reportedly initiated after a terror attack and military operation last year.
The Indian men's hockey team delivered a commanding performance, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 7-1 in the FIH Pro League's London leg. After conceding an early goal, India rallied with seven unanswered goals from multiple players, showcasing strong offensive and defensive play, with Hardik Singh named Player of the Match.
India delivered a commanding performance against arch-rivals Pakistan, securing a resounding 7-1 victory in their FIH Pro League return leg match. Despite Pakistan taking an early lead, India quickly retaliated with goals from Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Jugraj Singh, Abhishek, Rajkumar Pal, and Dilpreet Singh, showcasing superior attacking prowess and penalty corner conversion.
Harmanpreet Kaur has become the most capped international player in women's cricket history, surpassing Suzie Bates during the second T20I against Australia in Canberra.
Deepti Sharma produced a career-best 5/10 as India defeated Pakistan by 64 runs in their Women's T20 World Cup opener at Edgbaston. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur also starred in India's dominant victory.
India defeated England by 270 runs in the first women's Test match ever held at Lord's, with the hosts bowled out for 186 while chasing a target of 457.
Legendary Indian hockey player P R Sreejesh has urged the men's team to ignore the ongoing jersey colour controversy and focus on ending the 50-year World Cup medal drought. He dismissed concerns about the saffron jersey, noting past colour changes, but questioned the visibility argument. Sreejesh emphasised that if players approved the change, the debate should cease, and politics should be kept out of sports. He also expressed confidence in the team's ability to perform despite the off-field distractions.
India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a thrilling FIH Pro League match in London, extending their decade-long unbeaten streak against them in international hockey. Despite Pakistan taking an early lead, India rallied with goals from Abhishek, Nilakanta Sharma, Sukhjeet Singh, and Rajinder Singh. Pakistan mounted a late comeback in the final quarter, but India held on for a crucial victory, moving up to seventh in the standings.
India has been eliminated from the Women's T20 World Cup after a six-wicket defeat to Australia at Lord's. Despite a strong batting performance led by Harmanpreet Kaur, Australia successfully chased down India's target of 171, with Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner scoring crucial half-centuries. This marks India's second consecutive group-stage exit from the tournament.
India Women's cricket team, fresh off two commanding victories, prepares to face a strong South Africa side in a crucial ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group 1 match. The contest is expected to highlight India's powerful top order against South Africa's varied bowling, with both teams aiming to build momentum and address fielding improvements.
Chief coach Amol Muzumdar lauded the Indian women's cricket team for their historic 270-run Test victory over England at Lord's, attributing the success to a blend of 'patience mixed with the right amount of aggression' and highlighting centurion Yastika Bhatia's 'special knock' and pacer Kranti Gaud's 'controlled line and length'.
India's women's cricket team is set to make history by playing their first-ever Test match at Lord's against England. This follows an early exit from the T20 World Cup, allowing more preparation time. Head coach Amol Mujumdar expressed the team's excitement for this landmark occasion, highlighting the dream of playing a Test at the iconic venue. Both teams feature potential debutants, with England's Tammy Beaumont retiring after this historic match.
Marizanne Kapp struck a scintillating 45-ball 81 as South Africa overwhelmed India by six wickets in their ICC Women's T20 World Cup clash, in Manchester, on Sunday.
For Team India's women cricketers, producing such a feat at Lord's -- the Home of Cricket -- will remain an achievement that can be recalled again and again with pride, notes K R Nayar.
