Hockey Pro-League: India names 24-member Indian Team for matches in Belgium and Netherlands

Savita will take over captaincy while Deep Grace Ekka will serve as the vice-captain. The team will participate in six matches from June 11 to 22 ahead of the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup held in Spain and the Netherlands from July 1-17. Chief Coach Janneke Schopman proudly declared that the squad is well-balanced and replete with experienced players and promising youngsters with impressive performances during their Junior World Cup outing.

India will face hosts Belgium on June 11 and 12 in Antwerp, followed by matches against Argentina on June 18 and 19, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The last set will witness India squaring off against the United States on June 21 and 22 at the same venue. The Indian Women's team currently sits at the number one position on the pool table in the FIH Hockey Pro-League after scoring 22 points from eight matches with four wins, three draws and one loss. They jumped two places to a best-ever seventh in the latest FIH Hockey Rankings due to their impressive run in 2022. 

FIH Women's Pro League: Savita remains captain, Ekka to serve as vice-captain

Savita is ready to lead the team, besides which star striker Rani Rampal is likely to make a comeback after she played her last game at the Tokyo Olympics. Rani was plagued by a prolonged hamstring injury that required a long rehabilitation phase. Shortly after, she was named in the Indian squad for the last two matches of the FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar against the Netherlands last month, but she couldn't show up. Meanwhile, skilled defender Deep Grace Ekka will become the team's vice-captain, which now includes junior World Cup stars like Bichu Devi Kharibam, and Akshata Abaso Dhekale Ishika Chaudhary, Baljeet Kaur, Sangita Kumari and Deepika.

Rajini Etimarpu, Mahima Chaudhary, and Rajwinder Kaur have been named standbys. The first two are slated to be the captain and vice-captain of the Indian team for the June 4-5 FIH Women's Hockey 5s in Switzerland. Chief coach Janneke Schopman revealed that the upcoming matches would comprise a crucial leg of Pro League matches in Europe as it will give us insights into their progress before the World Cup in July. These matches will determine the players who will make it to the final team for the World Cup, as stated by the coach.