Hockey U18 Asia Cup: Captain Ketan's hat-trick leads India men to dominating 13-0 win over Kazakhstan
Kakamigahara, May 29
Captain Ketan Kushwaha scored a hat-trick as the Indian men's hockey team opened its campaign at the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 with a dominant 13-0 victory over Kazakhstan in Pool A here on Friday.
Ketan led from the front with three goals, while Prahalad Rajbhar, Ashish Tani Purti, Ansh Bahutra and Shahrukh Ali registered a brace each.
India controlled proceedings from the outset and were rewarded for their persistence after Kazakhstan weathered the early pressure. Shahrukh Ali (12') broke the deadlock with a thunderous strike from inside the circle before Prahalad Rajbhar (14') doubled the advantage just two minutes later, giving India a firm grip on the contest by the end of the first quarter.
Goals continued to flow in the second quarter. Captain Kushwaha (18') was well placed to finish from close range after India won possession high up the pitch, while Gazee Khan (20') added a fourth shortly after to extend the lead.
India showed no signs of easing off before the break. Shahrukh (29') completed his brace with a clinical finish, and Purti (30') converted a penalty corner a minute later, as India surged to a commanding 6-0 lead at half-time.
The third quarter proved to be the most productive, with four of India's five goals coming through penalty corners. Bahutra (31', 44') converted twice while Purti also went on to complete a brace.
In the final minute of the quarter, Kushwaha scored twice in quick succession, including a penalty corner, to complete his hat-trick. India finished the third quarter with an 11-0 lead.
The men in blue kept the pressure on in the final quarter to round off a resounding victory. Akash Deep (47') tapped the ball into an open goal to put his name on the scoresheet before Rajbhar scored his second goal of the day in the 51st minute.
India will next face hosts Japan on May 31 as they look to continue their winning start to the tournament.
— IANS
Reader Comments
13-0 is no joke, especially in a tournament like this. The boys are showing great teamwork and discipline. But let's not get too carried away – Japan will be a much tougher test. Hoping for another strong performance!
Love seeing our U-18 team play with such confidence. Shahrukh Ali and Prahalad Rajbhar with braces too! This is what happens when you have good grassroots development. Keep it up, boys! 🙌
Impressive scoreline, but I'd like to see how India performs against stronger opposition. Kazakhstan seems to be a weaker side in this pool. The real test will be against Japan and potentially Korea or Pakistan later. Still, 13 goals shows attacking intent!
The penalty corner conversions seem to have improved a lot. 5 goals from PCs in the third quarter alone is brilliant. Our drag-flickers are really stepping up. Hope this continues against Japan! 🏑✨
Great to see Indian hockey producing talent at the U-18 level. The future looks bright with players like Ketan Kushwaha leading the way. But we need to maintain this momentum and not become complacent. Consistency is key!
V Vikram M Yaar, We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.