Hockey India Finalises 22-member Indian Men's Team for the FIH Pro League Matches against Germany

on 14th and 15th April 2022 at the beloved Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Amit Rohidas stands as the captain and Harmanpreet Singh has been selected as the vice-captain. Here's a short update on the different positions assigned to an array of young and talented stars.

Indian Squad with 22 Members

The squad currently has two goalkeepers namely Krishan Bahadur Pathak and PR Sreejesh. The defence lineup is graced by Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Surender Kumar, Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, and Gurinder Singh. The midfield has talented players such as Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Manpreet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Hardik Singh, and Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh. At the forward line, we can expect to see Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh, and Akashdeep Singh.

Coach Graham Ready to Take on Challenges

Chief Coach Graham Reid is very positive about his team and their training. About their progress, he said, "This year's FIH Pro League has provided us with great opportunities to try different combinations and tactics. We have recognized what works and, more importantly, what areas we need to improve on. This week against Germany is the last leg of our home games for this year and we are looking forward to two more world-class encounters once again. Germany are always an extremely tough opponent and given where we both are on the ladder it will be important for us to finish this week with as many points as possible to remain at the top of the points table."

India's Performance in FIH Pro League

The Indian Team has played ten matches in total in the ongoing season of FIH Hockey Pro League. They are currently top-ranked with 21 points to spare. Behind them is Germany that currently occupied second place with 17 points in eight games. The Indian team defeated South Africa at home (10-2, 10-2) while they also bagged one loss and one win against France (5-0, 2-5) as the two teams squared off in South Africa.

At home, India has a similar record against Spain (5-4, 3-5). Even against Argentina, India won one game 4-3 and lost one 2-2 (1-3 SO). However, they secured two wins against England, 3-3 (3-2 SO), and 4-3. Now, the Men in Blue will encounter Germany on 14th April at 19:30 hrs IST and 15th April at 17:00 hrs IST set to take place at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The world number six side will not have its senior members due to the ongoing Euro Hockey League. German head coach Andre Henning instead has welcomed junior players many of whom will make their international debut against India. The matches will be available for streaming on Star Sports First and Disney+Hotstar.