Sreejesh’s retirement opened the door for Pathak, who was India’s standby goalkeeper at both Tokyo and Paris Olympics.Suraj Karkera will serve as the reserve custodian for the team.
Experienced midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad has been appointed as the vice-captain, replacing Hardik Singh, who will miss the tournament along with Mandeep Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Shamsher Singh and Gurjant Singh, all of whom have been rested.
The tournament presents a significant chance for promising drag-flicker Jugraj Singh, who traveled to the Paris Games as a standby. Alongside him, Araijeet Singh Hundal and Amit Rohidas will be India’s other options on top of the circle in set-pieces. Howecer, skipper Harmanpreet, who topped the goal-scoring charts in Paris, remains India’s premier penalty-corner specialist.
In defense, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet, Jugraj, Sanjay and Sumit will form the team’s backbone.
The midfield will feature Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Manpreet Singh and Mohammed Raheel. The forward line includes Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Hundal, and junior India captain Uttam Singh, along with debutant Gurjot Singh.
Ten players from the Paris Olympics bronze medal-winning squad have made it to this team, highlighting the blend of experience and youth aimed to secure top honors against Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, and hosts China.
“This is an important campaign for us to ensure we build on our ranking points. The team has just returned to the camp after all the celebrations following our performance in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” chief coach Craig Fulton said in a Hockey India statement.
“The past few weeks have truly been incredible with all the love and adulation for the team and we hope this support will continue all through our future campaigns.
“The new Olympic cycle for us begins with the Asian Champions Trophy and we are ready for the challenge. While we have rested a few players from the squad that played in Paris, we have brought in a few youngsters who have done well in training and have earned the opportunity to play in Asian Champions Trophy.
“We will have Gurjot making his international debut, and I believe this is a great opportunity for youngsters who have received a call-up to shine,” Fulton added.
The Indian team will kick off its campaign against China on September 8, followed by a match against Japan on September 9.
After a day’s rest, the team will face Malaysia on September 11 and Korea on September 12.
On September 14, India will take on its arch-rivals Pakistan. The semi-finals and final are scheduled for September 16 and 17 respectively.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh (c), Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit
Midfielders: Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad (vc), Manpreet Singh, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen
Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Uttam Singh, Gurjot Singh
