Coaches take stock as India betters its FIH Pro League show from previous season

The recent FIH Pro League marked the beginning of Indian hockey’s international assignments in 2025. Coming just a fortnight after the revived Hockey India League, the Bhubaneswar leg of the competition was expected to be a testing ground for the year ahead and the results, while encouraging, also highlighted areas that still need work for both the men and women.

With both the men and women finishing in the bottom half of the table in the previous edition, the women barely managing to hang on to their spot in the second-last position, the current season has a lot riding on it for Indian hockey, a spot at the 2026 World Cup being just one of them. It is also a chance for the men to continue building its core for the next four years leading up to LA28 and for the women to get back on the grind with a clean slate.

While the men finished their quota of eight games with five wins to be placed third currently, the women had two with a shootout bonus against the Netherlands to be placed sixth with nine points – already one more than what they managed in total in 2023-24. 

The road ahead is, in some ways, both simpler and tougher for the men. After two consecutive Olympic medals and a fairly well-settled system, it’s more about fine-tuning what has already been proven to work with an infusion of new faces. The team has consistently remained among the top-five in the world and there is little to separate them from the other top teams.

Craig Fulton during a press conference in Bhubaneswar.
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BISWARANJAN ROUT/The Hindu

The HIL gave Craig Fulton an opportunity to assess the youngsters from the junior side and the Pro League a chance to test them in tougher situations. The eight games – two each against England, Germany, Spain and Ireland – saw the India coach rotate as many as 27 players in his search for a core group leading up to the 2026 World Cup. 

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Among those were youngsters like Rajinder Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Arshdeep Singh and Yashdeep Siwach, players who impressed with both their skills and game intelligence on field. With a demanding 2026 that has the World Cup and the Asian Games scheduled less than a month apart, Fulton has admitted the need to prepare more than one core team. If the start of the Pro League is any indication, Indian men’s hockey is on track to do so. 

Fulton knows that not all seniors in the side will continue to be active for the next four years. Regardless of their fitness or experience, many in the side are expected to call it a day after the World Cup or the Asian Games and a new leadership group is inevitable. The Pro League, in that regard, is also a test of leadership skills among the newer lot. 

Hundal and Arshdeep have already been marked in as long-term prospects in the attack but Rajinder on the flanks was the most impressive with his stick work, control and accuracy in setting up goals. Fulton’s mantra of defending to win was clearly visible in India’s matches – the host conceded the least number goals, 12, among all nations in the first half of the season. At the other end, however, goals have not been easy to come by, with penalty corner conversions remaining the bugbear in an otherwise sorted set-up. 

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India earned 30 PCs at the Kalinga Stadium but Jugraj Singh, considered the best drag-flicker in India behind Harmanpreet Singh and coming in on the back of a red-hot streak as the top-scorer in the HIL, failed to score a single goal, even when Harmanpreet was rested. On the other hand, field goals from Sukhjeet, Abhishek and Mandeep Singh helped release the pressure somewhat. Clearly the stint with Australian Michael McCann for the strikers paid off. But with Amandeep Lakra impressing and waiting for his chance, it remains to be seen if Fulton will continue to persist with Jugraj or explore other options.

Jugraj Singh from Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers celebrates after scoring during a Hockey India League fixture.
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu

The other small worry for Fulton would be the persistent slow start from the team. The Indians bounced back after every loss to win big and while it did show that the Indians did best with their backs to the wall, it also puts them in a situation where they are left chasing instead of setting the terms.

It’s more complicated for the women. Missing the Paris Olympics meant changes in both the playing and support staff and while the seniors in the side have, so far, been vital to the team’s prospects, coach Harendra Singh will have his hands full planning for both the long and short term future prospects.

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The team impressed and frustrated in equal measure, highlighting inconsistency in form and fortunes. On the positive side, the team managed hard-fought victories against England and Germany and a massive morale booster with a shootout win against the dominant Netherlands. Although experimental, the Dutch and the Germans still landed with 11 and nine members respectively from their Olympic sides, which makes India’s performances all the more laudable.

Harendra has always insisted on fitness being the backbone of all strategies and their executions and the team, when playing to its strengths and sticking to its plans, proved capable of matching up to the higher-ranked sides. Deepika continues to go from strength to strength, both as a striker and the team’s main drag-flicker. The newcomers – Sakshi Rana, Rutuja Pisal and Jyoti Singh – all impressed and with more including the likes of Kanika Siwach and Deepika Soreng waiting in the wings, the team appears to be on the right track.

There is no denying that Savita remains key to Indian’s fortunes.
| Photo Credit:
The Hockey India

The biggest concern, however, will be to ensure a replacement in place well in time for Savita Punia. Although Bichu Devi was competent in the chances she got, there is no denying that Savita remains key to Indian’s fortunes and by the time she calls it a day, one hopes Indian women’s hockey has her successor ready. 

The big caveat, though, remains that the Pro League continues to be a testing ground for all teams, both in planning and personnel, before more important tournaments with its results valued accordingly. But if the first half of the current season is any indication, Indian hockey seems prepared for the tough days ahead.