Hockey: Sanjay to lead India in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, seniors rested

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) Defender Sanjay will lead the Indian men's hockey team at the 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with several senior players rested for the prestigious invitational tournament scheduled to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia, from November 23 to 30.

Both of India's first choice goalkeepers Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera have been rested and their places will be taken by Pawan and Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar.

Regular skipper Harmanpreet Singh, the experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh and striker Mandeep Singh will also give the tournament a miss.

Sanjay, Jugraj Singh and Amit Rohidas are three senior players who have been named in defensive line.

The defensive unit also includes Poovanna Chandura Boby, Nilam Sanjeep Xess and Yashdeep Siwach.

The midfield will be marshalled by Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Vivek Sagar Prasad and Mohammed Raheel Mouseen.

The attack will be led by Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Dilpreet Singh and Abhishek.

The standbys for the tournament include Varun Kumar, Vishnu Kant Singh, Hardik Singh and Angad Bir Singh.

"The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup has always been a key tournament in the international hockey calendar, and we are excited to participate with a balanced squad," Indian men's hockey team chief coach Craig Fulton said.

"Our focus has been on sharpening our structure in both attack and defence, improving decision-making under pressure, and maintaining consistency throughout the game. This group has shown great discipline and hunger in training, and we believe they are ready to take on the challenge," he said.

"We look forward to strong performances in Ipoh and using this tournament as an important step in our long-term 2026 World Cup and Asian Games cycle," he added.

India will open their campaign against Korea on November 23, followed by matches against Belgium (November 24), hosts Malaysia (November 26) and New Zealand (November 27) and Canada (November 29).

The tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with the top two teams qualifying for the final scheduled for November 30.

India last won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title in 2010 and finished as runners-up in 2019.

Squad: ==== Goalkeepers: Pawan, Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar.

Defenders: Chandura Boby, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Yashdeep Siwach, Sanjay, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas.

Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Moirangthem Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen.

Forwards: Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Dilpreet Singh, Abhishek. PTI SSC SSC APA APA