India eyeing maximum points from Pro League to secure direct WC berth
Amstelveen: The Indian men's hockey team will look to produce its best and earn maximum points from the European leg of the FIH Pro League in a bid to secure a direct qualification to next year's World Cup.
The next World Cup will be jointly hosted by Belgium and Netherlands. The Harmanpreet Singh-led side is currently placed third in the FIH Pro League standings with 15 points from eight matches, behind Belgium (16) and England (16).
Good results in the upcoming eight matches of the European leg can propel India to the top, which means a direct berth in the World Cup. India played the home leg of the ongoing Pro League in Bhubaneswar earlier this year, where they raked up 15 points with five wins in eight games.
In the European leg, first up for India is hosts Netherlands here on Saturday followed by the return leg match on June 9. The Indians will next play Argentina here on June 11 and 12, followed by matches against Australia (June 14, 15) and Belgium (June 21, 22). India will be led by talismanic dragflicker Harmanpreet, while midfield mainstay Hardik Singh will be his deputy.
The Indians will take on Belgium at their home turf in Antwerp. Keeping the magnitude of the matches in mind, India have fielded an experienced 24-member squad for the leg. The Indian goal will be manned by Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera, while the defence will be handled by the likes of Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet, Jugraj Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay and Nilam Sanjeep Xess among others.
The midfield will be led by former skipper Manpreet Singh with current vice-captain Hardik, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh, Raj Kumar Pal and Rajinder Singh also doing duty in the middle. India boast of a strong strike force in Gurjant Singh, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Lalait Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh. Chief coach Craig Fulton has opted for experience instead of trying out youngsters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘He has played County cricket, he knows the conditions there': Ricky Ponting bats for Arshdeep Singh to be included in India's playing XI vs England in 1st Test
Former Australia captain and current Punjab Kings coach Ricky Ponting said that PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh should be slotted into the playing XI of the 1st England vs India Test at Headingley, set to start on June 20. Ponting feels that Arshdeep, who has played county cricket will be familiar with the conditions in the United Kingdom. 'I would actually have him in their Test team at the start (of the England series). He's very skillful, he has played County cricket, he knows the conditions there and the Dukes Ball will help him in the UK as well,' he said. 'To have that point of difference, having a left-armer in your team, will be something that if India don't do it then it'll be a bit of a surprise to me.' 'As we know in England the ball still swings (be it) 30, 40 or 50 overs old. To have someone that's got that swing bowling ability and a left-armer, (it) is something that the Indian team should definitely look out for on that tour,' he added. Post his T20I debut for India in 2022, Arshdeep, now 26, has become India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 99 scalps in 63 games. But he has played only 12 matches for Punjab at the first-class level with 39 wickets at an average of 12. In 2023, after a 17-wicket IPL season, the left-arm pacer signed for English county Kent and played five first-class matches picking up 13 wickets at an average of 41.76 with his best figures of 3 for 58. Last year, Arshdeep took 20 wickets for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and it was his five-wicket haul against Mumbai in which he picked up the wickets of Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube and Suryakumar Yadav that led Rai to believe that his ward was making progress in red-ball cricket too. Arshdeep would carry Dukes and Kookaburra balls in his kit bag and practise with them whenever he got a chance.
India.com
25 minutes ago
- India.com
4 Players Who Could Replace Virat Kohli At No. 4 Spot In Tests For India Against England: Karun Nair, Shubman Gill And...
photoDetails english 2912590 The Shubman Gill-led India will play a five-match Test series in England, starting June 20, 2025. During the all-important series, India will have to find an ideal batter for No. 4 spot as a replacement of batting stalwart Virat Kohli, who retired from Test cricket on May 12. Based on recent performances, domestic records, and suitability to English conditions, India have many talented batters, who could replace Kohli at No. 4 spot in the playing XI. Here are four players who could replace Kohli at No. 4 spot in the Indian Test team: Updated:Jun 07, 2025, 08:03 PM IST 1. Karun Nair 1 / 7 Karun Nair was rewarded for his prolific run in domestic cricket with a call-up in the India Test squad for the upcoming series against England. Karun, who is India's second triple-centurion after Virender Sehwag, has experience of batting in the middle order and he can be a strong contender to replace Virat Kohli at No. 4 spot in the Indian cricket team. The 33-year-old Nair recently hit a double hundred while playing for India A against England Lions in a four-day practice game in Canterbury. Karun Nair's Record In Test Cricket 2 / 7 Karun Nair has played just 6 Test matches for India so far, scoring 374 runs with an impressive average of 62.33 and strike rate of 73.91 so far. He has only one century to his name in Test cricket. However, it was the big one as he scored (303 not out) against England in 2016. 2. Shubman Gill 3 / 7 Shubman Gill has been named India's new captain in Test cricket ahead of the upcoming series against England. The 25-year-old Gill mostly batted at the top of the order or at number three in his Test career so far but he could take the big responsibility of replacing Virat Kohli at No. 4 spot in the Indian cricket team. Him moving to No. 4 spot could be a game changer moment for Gill and might elevate his Test career. Shubman Gill's Record In Test Cricket 4 / 7 Shubman Gill has scored 1893 runs in 32 Test matches with an average of 35.05 and strike rate of 59.92 so far. He has 5 centuries and 7 fifties to his name in Test cricket so far. 3. Sai Sudharsan 5 / 7 Sai Sudharsan has got his maiden call-up in India's Test squad for the upcoming series against England after his strong performances during the India A tour of Australia late last year and back to back impressive IPL seasons. Sudharsan, who made his international debut in the ODI format against South Africa in 2023, has a compact technique and strong temperament, which prompted selectors to give up a Test call-up. He can be a good contender to replace Virat Kohli at No. 4 spot in the Indian cricket team. The 23-year-old Sudharsan won the Orange Cap in the recently-concluded IPL 2025 after scoring 759 runs for Gujarat Titans in 15 matches. 4. Dhruv Jurel 6 / 7 Young wicket-keeper batter Dhruv Jurel has played only a few matches for India in Test cricket so far. However, he has impressed everyone with his remarkable temperament under pressure, particularly in his ability to stabilise innings and bat with the tail. The likes of Ravi Shastri and Ravichandran Ashwin have praised Jurel for his composure, shot selection, and ability to adapt to tough situations. Jurel is also very technically solid as a batter, which makes him a good candidate to replace Virat Kohli at No. 4 spot in the Indian cricket team. Dhruv Jurel's Record In Test Cricket 7 / 7 Dhruv Jurel has scored 202 runs in 54 Test matches with an average of 40.40 and strike rate of 53.15 so far. He has one half-century to his name in Test cricket so far.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
25 minutes ago
- First Post
Oman cricketers accuse their board of ruining careers, lives by withholding ICC prize money: 'Our lives have been upended'
Oman cricketers have accused their board of not paying a single penny from the US$ 225,000 prize money that was supposed to be distributed within the squad that had participated in last year's T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean. read more Oman got to rub shoulders with top teams such as Australia and England at last year's T20 World Cup. AFP Several members of the Oman cricket team have accused the country's board of sabotaging their careers and lives by refusing to pay them their share of prize money from ICC events, shining the spotlight on corruption in boards, especially in Associate Nations. According to a report on ESPNCricinfo, not a single member of the Oman squad that had participated in last year's T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean is yet to receive a single penny from the US$ 225,000 prize money that they had won by virtue of finishing between the 13th and 20th positions at the end of the tournament. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Our lives have been upended over this issue; we've lost our spot in the team, our contracts have been torn up, and we have been forced to leave the country. It's just so confusing and we don't understand why the ICC isn't able to ensure we get paid the prize money we have earned, and why there isn't a safe space for us to raise concerns?' top-order batter Kashyap Prajapati, who had featured in the 2021 and 2024 T20 World Cups and is currently in the US, told ESPNCricinfo. 'Our playing careers are over' Oman Cricket's refusal to distribute the prize money to their players has, in turn, resulted in nearly every member of their T20 World Cup squad leaving the team, many of whom have also had to move out of the country due to their employment visas getting revoked as a result of being out of work. 'It's been a massive loss for my career and professionally. I had to leave Oman. I'm not working at the moment, looking for opportunities but our playing careers are over,' Pakistani-born Fayyaz Butt, who played 30 ODIs and 47 T20Is for Oman, said. What makes the pay dispute in Oman cricket even more heart-breaking is the fact that the players would not have been aware about their board withholding their prize money had they not come across articles mentioning ICC's record prize money of US$ 11.25 million for last year's T20 World Cup, of which winners India took home the lion's share of US$ 2.45 million . The Oman team reportedly had not been received the prize money for their participation in the 2021 T20 World Cup, which they had co-hosted with the United Arab Emirates, either. ICC's rules state that member boards whose teams are participating in a global event must distribute the prize money to the squad within 21 days of the event, with the global body later confirming that they had indeed transferred the funds to Oman Cricket. The Omani cricketers tried raising the issue during a T20 triangular series in Canada where Nepal were the third team in action. Nepal and Canada too had participated in the T20 World Cup but got their share of the prize money after facing resistance from their boards. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prajapati and the rest of the team decided to take a unified stand during the T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup that was hosted by Oman in October, which resulted in a mass exodus after a board official threatened them with expulsion if they did not withdraw their demand for prize money and simply focused on their game. 'The issue reflects poorly on the whole sport' The World Cricketers Association, which claims that Associate nations typically pay their players 20 to 70 per cent of the prize money that they earn from ICC events, has described the situation as one that 'reflects poorly on the whole sport'. 'In a sport that is trying to retain players in international cricket and ensure its future and relevance, it's disappointing to see more non-payment issues, including in pinnacle ICC events held almost a year ago. 'We understand ICC management have continued to chase the boards on this, but the issue reflects poorly on the whole sport and adds to the widespread issues in domestic leagues,' Tom Moffat, the WCA CEO was quoted by the website as saying.
