For the first time in decades, Indian men’s hockey heads into a Hockey World Cup cycle not burdened by history, but buoyed by credibility.
As the sport builds towards the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, to be held from August 14 to 30 across Wavre in Belgium and Amstelveen in the Netherlands, the conversation around India has shifted decisively. This is no longer a team spoken of in terms of revival or potential. India is now discussed as a genuine title contender and that assessment is increasingly coming from the very heart of European hockey powerhouses .
That change in perception was crystallized on December 23, 2025, when Belgian defensive great Arthur Van Doren publicly stated that India are “impossible to ignore” in the World Cup race. Coming from a two-time FIH Player of the Year and a cornerstone of Belgium’s golden generation, the remark carried weight. It was not diplomatic praise, but a high-performance evaluation rooted in what elite teams are seeing on the pitch.
India’s rise has not been sudden. It is the product of a four-year cycle defined by consistency most notably, consecutive Olympic medals for the first time in 52 years. That achievement alone has altered India’s standing within the global ecosystem. Olympic medals demand tournament temperament, adaptability, and defensive resilience qualities India historically struggled to reproduce under pressure. Paris 2024 changed that narrative.
Under head coach Craig Fulton, India have quietly undergone a tactical and psychological evolution. Fulton’s appointment marked a philosophical pivot away from instinctive, high-risk hockey towards a more European model built on structure, control, and defensive discipline. His “defend to win” doctrine does not suppress India’s attacking flair; instead, it provides a framework within which skill can be applied more intelligently.
One of the most visible changes has been India’s transition from pure man-to-man marking to a hybrid zonal defensive system. This shift was trialled extensively during the 2024–25 FIH Pro League, often at the cost of short-term results. India’s seven-match losing streak in Europe raised alarm bells externally, but internally it was treated as a controlled experiment. Fulton used the Pro League as a laboratory testing presses, defensive rotations, and ball-retention strategies against the world’s best.
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The numbers tell a nuanced story. India conceded 38 goals and scored 34 in that Pro League campaign, finishing near the bottom of the table. Yet those results obscure context. Squad rotation, tactical trials, and the absence of captain Harmanpreet Singh due to injury distorted outcomes. When Harmanpreet returned, India immediately beat Belgium 4–3 away, snapping the losing run and reaffirming their competitive ceiling.
Harmanpreet remains central to India’s World Cup ambitions. His penalty corner conversion rate is among the best in world hockey, and he was the top scorer at the Paris Olympics. But Fulton is acutely aware of the risks of over-reliance. The search is on for complementary threats both in drag-flicking and open play. Players like Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, and Amit Rohidas are being groomed to share responsibility, while forwards such as Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh are expected to convert more circle entries into field goals against elite defence.
Another defining challenge on the road to 2026 is the post-PR Sreejesh era. The retirement of India’s greatest modern goalkeeper has left a leadership vacuum at the back. Craig Fulton’s solution has been pragmatic rather than reactive. Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera now operate in an equitable rotation, sharing minutes and responsibilities.
Pathak brings experience and reflex speed; Karkera offers communication and positional authority, highlighted by his flawless run at the Asian Champions Trophy. Their performance over the next 12 months will be decisive in determining whether India can sustain defensive calm in knockout matches.
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Encouragingly, the pipeline is strong. Junior World Cup bronze medallist Prince Deep Singh has already shown composure under pressure, particularly in shootouts. With PR Sreejesh now mentoring at the junior level, goalkeeping succession planning long a weakness in Indian hockey finally appears structured.
Off the international calendar, the Hockey India League (HIL) has emerged as a critical accelerant. Its revival has given Indian players sustained exposure to high-intensity club hockey alongside world-class internationals. For Fulton and his staff, the HIL is not merely a commercial league but a scouting and conditioning platform. Mandatory junior quotas, competitive auctions, and tactical diversity across franchises are narrowing the gap between India’s starting XI and its bench.
Regionally, India remain dominant. The 2025 Asia Cup victory in Rajgir, secured unbeaten with a commanding final win over South Korea, ensured direct qualification for the World Cup and freed the calendar for focused preparation. Fourteen different Indian players scored in that tournament a statistic that underlines depth and attacking spread. Yet the coaching staff is under no illusion. Asian supremacy does not guarantee World Cup success, a lesson painfully reinforced by India’s ninth-place finish in 2023.
The biggest historical hurdle remains Europe itself. India have never beaten the Netherlands at a World Cup, and tight losses in Amsterdam during the Pro League showed how ruthless elite teams are in final quarters. However, parity against Belgium and Germany is now evident. India no longer collapse late; they compete, adapt, and increasingly dictate phases of play.
That is why the tone heading into 2026 feels different. This Indian team is not chasing redemption or validation. It is building continuity. The objective is no longer to peak once every four years, but to sustain elite standards across cycles.
Arthur Van Doren’s assessment reflects this reality. India have established a performance floor that commands respect. Whether they can turn that consistency into a World Cup breakthrough will depend on marginal gains defensive discipline, field-goal efficiency, goalkeeping leadership, and mental resilience in hostile European venues.
For the first time in half a century, the question is not whether India belong at the top table but whether 2026 will be the year they finally stay there.
