India Embrace World Cup Pressure as Defence Faces Test

India will head into the 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup determined to embrace the pressure of the occasion, but with clear areas to improve in defence and at set pieces. The World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium presents a different challenge from the Asian Games, where India are described as clear favourites for gold and an Olympic qualification place for Los Angeles 2028.

At the World Cup, India are not among the favourites. The team are ranked eighth in the world, with leading European sides including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and England among the opponents they must measure themselves against, alongside Argentina and Australia. India have not won the World Cup since 1975 and have not reached the semifinals since that triumph.

Defence and penalty corners are central to India’s task

India’s recent Pro League results offered evidence of improvement as well as a reminder of the gaps they must close. During the European leg, India beat the Netherlands and Germany once each in Rotterdam and drew twice with England in London. Those results followed a difficult earlier stretch in which India went eight matches without a win, including four home defeats against Argentina and Belgium in Rourkela, where they conceded 19 goals.

The defensive system has been a defining feature of the current approach, with all 11 players expected to work behind the ball when the opposition are in possession before India look for counterattacking opportunities and set pieces. That structure helped India win bronze at the Paris Olympics, but their defensive reliability has been tested over the past two years.

Penalty corners underline the scale of the issue. India conceded 39 goals in the last Pro League season, with 21 of them coming from penalty corners. In their first eight games without an outright victory, they conceded 66 penalty corners. The figure improved to 51 across the next eight games, but the volume remained substantial.

India’s attacking penalty-corner return also needs to rise. Their efficiency across 16 matches was 20.63%, third-lowest among the teams listed, while they earned 63 penalty corners. Belgium, the Netherlands, Argentina, England and Australia all earned more during that span. The team have focused on penalty-corner defence, penalty-corner attack and shootouts in their current preparation block.

Goalkeeping is another important variable. Following PR Sreejesh’s retirement, Krishan Pathak struggled for form in the Pro League and Asia Cup and lost his place in the squad. Suraj Karkera and Mohith HS are set for their first World Cup and will be required to provide consistency in a tournament where set-piece defence could prove decisive.

Key players and an underdog approach

Captain Harmanpreet Singh remains central to India’s prospects. His post-Paris period has been interrupted by finger, hamstring and back injuries, and he scored one goal in this year’s European Pro League leg. His contribution is not limited to penalty-corner dragflicks: his long passing, aerial distribution and defensive work have also been important to the side.

India can also look to field-goal threats including Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra and Rajinder Singh, while Jugraj Singh has produced dragflick goals despite questions over consistency. The recent wins over the Netherlands and Germany, plus draws against England and Australia, provide a base as the team seeks more regular positive results against elite opposition.

The World Cup arrives with expectations tempered by recent results, yet India are approaching it as an opportunity rather than a burden. The target is to translate better defensive concentration, stronger goalkeeping and more efficient set pieces into performances capable of challenging higher-ranked sides on hockey’s biggest stage.