Men's Hockey Asia Cup : India vs Pakistan

The initial matches will comprise the group or pool stages and end with the final on June 1. The top five teams from the previous Asia Cup (India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan & South Korea) will participate. About the 2022 pools, defending champions, India has been drawn in Pool A, and arch-rivals Pakistan, Japan, and hosts Indonesia. Pool B includes record winners South Korea, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Oman. India, led by Birendra Lakra, will start their campaign against Pakistan on the tournament's opening day, followed by matches against Japan and Indonesia. 

Track record and head-to-head

Both India and Pakistan have won the Asia Cup Hockey title three times each and aim to equalise the record set by four-time title winners South Korea. Pakistan clinched the first three editions (1982, 1985, and 1989), annihilating India each time in the finals. India remained the finalist in the first four editions and lost to South Korea in the 1994 final. After a long gap, India won back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2007, while Pakistan conceded their successive three finals in 1999, 2003, and 2009. 

India lost the 2013 final to South Korea, and then they defeated Malaysia in the last edition (2017). When it comes to India and Pakistan's history of meetings, they have faced each other 177 times. Pakistan currently leads the head-to-head record 82-64. However, India has won 12 of the last 13 matches, except a 2-2 draw at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Pakistan last decimated India in the 2016 South Asian Games final.

India vs Pakistan in Asian Champions Trophy 2021

Indian men's hockey team defeated Pakistan to win the bronze medal at the Asian Champions Trophy on December 22, 2021. The neck-to-neck contest concluded with Manpreet Singh-led India beating its arch-rivals 4-3 to book a third place in the tournament. 

Indian squad for Asia Cup Hockey 2022 

The Indian squad has 22 players, out of which five are replacement or standby players. Pankaj Kumar Rajak and Suraj Karkera will front the goalkeeping side. The defender line-up includes Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Yashdeep Siwach, Abhisek Lakra, Birendra Lakra (Captain), Manjeet, and Dipsan Tirkey. The mid-fielding group has talents such as Vishnukant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Mareeswaren Sakthivel, Sheshe Gowda BM, and Simranjeet Singh. Among the clan of forwards, we will witness Pawan Rajbhar, Abharan Sudev, SV Sunil (Vice-Captain), Uttam Singh, and S Karthi. The remaining five athletes include Maninder Singh, Pawan, Pardeep Singh, Ankit Pal, and Angad Bir Singh.