India’s men’s hockey team entered the World Cup hoping to prove that it could consistently compete with the best teams in the world. Instead, the campaign ended with a familiar reality check.
While India managed wins over Wales and Pakistan, the team failed to beat higher-ranked opponents, losing to the Netherlands, England and Argentina. The defeat to Argentina ended India’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals and reopened serious questions about the team’s approach, depth, transition planning and ability to perform against elite opposition.
India struggle against the world’s best
India remain the highest-ranked Asian side and have regularly dominated teams within the continent. However, their performances against the leading hockey nations continue to expose a significant gap.
At the World Cup, India were unable to defeat any of the stronger sides they faced. The Netherlands, England and Argentina all got the better of them, while Argentina's victory continued a troubling trend, with the South American side scoring 23 goals against India across their last five meetings.
Even India’s victories over Wales and Pakistan were not entirely convincing, with the team often forced to fight hard for narrow wins.
The bigger issue is not that India never defeat elite teams. They do. The problem is consistency.
PR Sreejesh questions India's World Cup approach
Following India's 3-5 defeat to Argentina, former goalkeeper PR Sreejesh publicly questioned whether the team was approaching the World Cup with the right mindset.
His criticism focused on whether India were genuinely building a side capable of defeating the world's best or treating major tournaments as part of a longer preparation cycle.
The debate gained further attention after coach Craig Fulton explained that changes to the team against Argentina were part of rotation, with an eye on the upcoming Asian Games.
India will compete at the Asian Games next month, where a gold medal would secure direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics. However, using a World Cup as preparation for another tournament has raised questions about whether India's priorities are correctly aligned.
Are India giving enough importance to the Hockey Pro League?
India's record in the Hockey Pro League also reflects their wider struggle against elite opposition.
Their best finish in the competition remains third place in the 2021-22 season. In the previous edition, India finished eighth, ahead of only Pakistan.
The Pro League does not always feature every team at full strength, but it still provides regular opportunities to face countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, England and Australia.
India's inability to consistently defeat these teams remains a major concern.
The gap between India and the world's best is not necessarily about a lack of talent. Instead, it is about producing strong performances repeatedly when facing top-level opposition.
India's record against top hockey nations
India have struggled for consistency against several leading teams for years.
The team has not defeated the Netherlands in a major tournament since 2014. Their last major tournament win against Belgium also dates back to the Champions Trophy in 2014.
India did beat Germany to win the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, but Germany defeated them in the semi-final at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Against teams such as Spain, England, Australia and Argentina, India have registered occasional victories, particularly in the Pro League. However, sustained success against higher-ranked opposition has remained elusive.
That inconsistency is one of the biggest reasons India continue to fall short at major global tournaments.
Over-reliance on Harmanpreet Singh remains a concern
Another issue highlighted during the World Cup was India's dependence on captain Harmanpreet Singh.
Harmanpreet scored six goals during the tournament and continued to carry much of India's penalty-corner threat. Apart from Sanjay, no other Indian player scored from a penalty corner.
India also struggled to generate enough field goals. Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh scored two goals each across five matches, underlining the lack of a consistently effective alternative attacking plan.
If Harmanpreet is successfully contained, India need other players capable of creating and converting opportunities.
Developing more reliable drag-flickers and strengthening the team's field-goal scoring ability will be crucial going forward.
India face a major transition challenge
The World Cup also raised questions about the future of India's senior players.
Manpreet Singh is entering the later stage of his career, while Mandeep Singh struggled to make a significant impact during the tournament. By the time the 2028 Olympics arrive, Manpreet will be 36, Mandeep 33 and Harmanpreet 32.
India cannot wait until their experienced players retire before preparing replacements.
The world's leading hockey teams regularly refresh their squads while maintaining their competitive level. India will need to develop the next generation early, particularly in defence, midfield, penalty-corner execution and goal scoring.
A successful transition could determine whether India remain competitive at the Olympics and future World Cups.
Asian Games success cannot hide India's bigger problems
India will now turn their attention towards the Asian Games, where winning gold would secure direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics.
A strong performance could help the team move past the disappointment of the World Cup. However, success against Asian opposition will not automatically solve the problems exposed against the world's best.
India have shown that they can dominate within Asia. The bigger challenge is becoming a team capable of defeating the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, England, Australia and Argentina consistently.
Until India solve that problem, every major World Cup will continue to bring back the same uncomfortable questions.
