Jalandhar, October 2026 : Defending champions India made a spectacular start to their campaign at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026, crushing Bangladesh 13-0 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar on Tuesday. Mandeep Singh scored a hat-trick, while captain Harmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and Hardik Singh struck twice each as the Indian men's hockey team delivered a dominant performance in front of enthusiastic home supporters.
Mandeep found the net in the third, 10th and 54th minutes to complete his hat-trick. Harmanpreet scored in the second and 44th minutes, while Dilpreet struck in the 43rd and 44th minutes. Hardik added two late goals in the 60th minute to complete India's 13-goal tally.
Shilanand Lakra (15th), Abhishek (18th), Nilakanta Sharma (26th) and Jugraj Singh (46th) were the other scorers for India, who finished the opening day at the top of the standings with three points and an impressive goal difference of 13.
The emphatic victory also underlined India's attacking strength and penalty-corner efficiency as the team began its quest to retain the continental title.
India Dominate from the Opening Whistle
India wasted little time asserting their authority. The hosts earned a penalty corner in the second minute, and captain Harmanpreet converted it with a powerful drag-flick to give India the lead.
Just a minute later, Mandeep doubled the advantage after collecting Harmanpreet's pass at the top of the circle and beating the Bangladesh defence with a reverse-hit.
Bangladesh attempted to respond in the fourth minute, but Lakra cleared the danger. India, meanwhile, continued to apply pressure and extended their lead in the 10th minute. Harmanpreet's aerial ball found Abhishek, who moved it into the circle for Mandeep to finish from close range.
Lakra made it 4-0 in the 15th minute after a coordinated attacking move involving Sukhjeet Singh and Aditya Arjun Lalage.
India maintained their attacking momentum in the second quarter. Abhishek scored the fifth goal in the 18th minute, receiving a pass from Mandeep on the left before finding space inside the circle and finishing accurately.
Nilakanta Sharma added another in the 26th minute with a reverse-stick shot from the top of the circle. Bangladesh goalkeeper Ashraful Shad produced a fine save against Nilakanta earlier in the quarter, but India went into half-time with a commanding 6-0 lead.
India Extend Lead with Three Goals in Quick Succession
Bangladesh managed to retain possession for longer periods during the third quarter, but India continued to create scoring opportunities and capitalised on their attacking pressure.
Dilpreet converted a penalty corner in the 43rd minute before scoring again from open play a minute later. Harmanpreet then converted another penalty corner in the 44th minute, taking India's lead to 9-0.
Jugraj Singh increased the margin to 10-0 in the 46th minute by converting a penalty corner early in the final quarter.
Mandeep completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute, stretching to turn Aditya Arjun Lalage's cross into the net.
India continued to press forward in the closing stages. Hardik scored his first goal in the 60th minute after Bangladesh initially blocked a penalty-corner attempt. Moments later, he struck again following a move initiated by Harmanpreet, whose pass reached Dilpreet before the latter set up Hardik to guide the ball home.
The final whistle confirmed India's emphatic 13-0 victory, with supporters waving the national tricolour and celebrating the team's impressive opening performance.
Emotional Farewell for Nilakanta Sharma
The evening carried an emotional moment as Nilakanta Sharma announced his retirement from international hockey, confirming that the tournament would be his final appearance in the India jersey.
The midfielder marked the occasion by scoring India's sixth goal, adding a memorable contribution to the defending champions' opening-day triumph.
Grand Opening Ceremony Marks Return of International Hockey to Punjab
The match was preceded by a colourful opening ceremony celebrating the return of international hockey to Punjab.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann unveiled the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 trophy. He was felicitated by Bhola Nath Singh, Vice President of the Asian Hockey Federation and Secretary General of Hockey India, and Nitin Kohli, President of Hockey Punjab and Associate Vice President of Hockey India.
The ceremony featured traditional Punjabi dance forms, including Bhangra and Giddha, alongside performances showcasing Gatka, the Sikh martial art. Punjabi singer Ninja entertained the audience, while music and fireworks added to the celebrations as Jalandhar welcomed Asia's leading hockey teams.
India Face China Next on October 29
In the other opening-day matches, Malaysia edged China 5-4, while Japan defeated South Korea 3-2.
The six-team Asian Champions Trophy follows a single round-robin format, with each team playing the other five sides once. The top four teams at the end of the league stage will advance to the semi-finals.
India will next face China on October 29 at 7 p.m. IST, following a rest day on October 28. League matches will continue in Jalandhar until November 2.
The tournament will then move to the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, where the semi-finals will take place on November 4, followed by the bronze-medal and gold-medal matches on November 5.
With a commanding opening victory, India have sent an early warning to their rivals as they pursue another Asian Champions Trophy title.
