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India's Hockey Return: New Captain Leads Squad in Azlan Shah Cup Comeback

The Indian men's hockey team is making a much-anticipated return to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after six years. They'll begin their campaign against South Korea this Sunday in Ipoh, Malaysia. With a young squad led by new captain Sanjay, the team is missing several big names but features experienced players like Jugraj Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad. India holds the second-best record in tournament history with five titles, though their last victory dates back to 2010.

Key Points: Indian Men's Hockey Team Begins Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Campaign

  • India makes first Azlan Shah Cup appearance since 2019 runner-up finish
  • New captain Sanjay leads squad missing star players like Harmanpreet Singh
  • Six teams compete in round-robin format with final on November 30
  • India seeks sixth title after last winning tournament in 2010
2 min read

Indian men's hockey team to start Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign against South Korea

India returns to Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after 6 years, facing South Korea in opener with new captain Sanjay leading young squad in Ipoh tournament.

"India is the second-most successful team in the tournament's history, with five titles - Tournament Records"

Ipoh, November 23

The Indian men's hockey team will kickstart their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025 campaign from Sunday onwards with the opening clash against South Korea.

The tournament is organised by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), and was held for the first time in 1983. It is a consistent fixture of the hockey calendar and an invitational tournament named after the former FIH executive board member Sultan Azlan Shah.

Six teams, Belgium, New Zealand, India, Malaysia, South Korea and Canada will be competing for the title, and this marks India's first appearance in the competition since 2019, when they ended as runners-up, as per Olympics.com.

Team India is led by Sanjay, filling in the massive shoes of superstar drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh and is fielding a squad missing bigger names like Krishna Bahadur Pathak, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, among others. But the new skipper does have support of seasoned veterans like Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas, Nilakanta Sharma and Vivek Sagar Prasad.

The tournament will have a round-robin format, with each team playing the others once, and the top two sides playing the title clash on November 30, with classification matches for the other four teams.

India is the second-most successful team in the tournament's history, with five titles, and their last trophy came way back in 2010. Australia, who is not featuring in the tournament this time, has won it 10 times, making them the most successful team to have graced the competition.

Japan had secured their maiden title last year, but are not featuring in this edition of the tournament.

Indian hockey squad for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025Goalkeepers: Pawan, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar.

Defenders: Chandura Boby, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Yashdeep Siwach, Sanjay, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas.

Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Moirangthem Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen.

Forwards: Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Dilpreet Singh, Abhishek.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
South Korea as the opening match will be challenging but our team has the talent to win. Good to see experienced players like Jugraj Singh and Amit Rohidas supporting the new captain. Hope we break the title drought since 2010!
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Arjun K
Honestly concerned about the squad selection. Missing Harmanpreet Singh and other senior players might affect our performance. Hope the management knows what they're doing with this experimental team. 🤔
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Sarah B
As someone who follows international hockey, this tournament is crucial for building team chemistry before major events. Good to see India participating again after the gap. The round-robin format will test our consistency.
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Vikram M
Five titles but none since 2010? Time to change that record! The young players like Sukhjeet Singh and Dilpreet Singh need to step up. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
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Kavya N
Watching hockey since childhood with my father. This tournament brings back so many memories! Hope our team performs well and brings back the glory days of Indian hockey. All matches will be live on TV?

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