Eight games. Zero wins. The FIH Pro League season has not gone to plan for India. Now the campaign moves to Europe, with the World Cup in August and the Asian Games in September both edging closer.
India sit eighth in the standings with 4 points from 8 matches, ahead of only Pakistan. The European leg takes them to Rotterdam to face Netherlands and Germany, before moving to London for matches against Pakistan and England.
The World Cup is the priority. Asian Games gold offers direct Olympic qualification for 2028. Both tournaments demand a squad that is fit, settled, and scoring goals. There is also an open question of peaking at the right moment, something India have struggled with before. Right now, India are 0 for 8 with the lowest goal tally in the league.
With the World Cup and Asian Games in mind, here are five things worth watching as India begin this leg.
1. Results Now or a Plan for August?
India have not won a single match this Pro League season. Eighth place, ahead of only Pakistan, with Netherlands, Germany, Pakistan, and England waiting in Rotterdam and London.
Go all out, chase a result, end the winless run, give the squad something to build confidence on heading into the World Cup. That is one option.
But there is history here that complicates it. At the 2023 World Cup, India beat Spain on day one, then faded over the following nine days, eventually losing on penalties to New Zealand in the crossover after leading 3-1 with nine minutes left. India peaked too early. By the time it mattered most, the sharpness was gone.
The European leg sits two months before the World Cup. If India go all out here purely to get a result, they risk being in a similar position come August, sharp now, faded later.
The honest tension is this. Does India use Rotterdam and London to build combinations, fitness, and tactics with August in mind? Or does a winless season demand a result now, even if it means peaking at the wrong time again?
Read More: Peaking at the Right Moment: The One Thing That Will Define India at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup
2. Where Are the Goals?
India have scored 9 goals in 8 matches this season, the lowest in the Pro League.
| Team | FG | PC | PS | Goals |
| Belgium | 15 | 13 | 2 | 30 |
| Argentina | 14 | 14 | 1 | 29 |
| Netherlands | 14 | 10 | 2 | 26 |
| Australia | 9 | 8 | 4 | 21 |
| England | 12 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Germany | 15 | 5 | 0 | 20 |
| Pakistan | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Spain | 7 | 5 | 0 | 12 |
| India | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
The forward line is the most obvious concern. Abhishek has played 7 matches and scored 0 goals. Sukhjeet Singh has played 3 and scored 0. Between them, India’s first-choice forwards have not found the net once this season.
Part of this could be a service problem. Watching India this season, the midfield has not consistently created chances for the forward line. If the ball is not getting to Abhishek and Sukhjeet in positions to score, the goal drought is not just a finishing issue, it becomes a question about how India build attacks through midfield.
Penalty corners tell a similar story. India have scored 4 PC goals from 21 attempts, a conversion rate of 19 percent. On its own, that is a respectable number. But when your forwards are not scoring from open play, the penalty corner unit needs to do more than be respectable. It needs to be the difference.
Read More: FIH Pro League: India’s Squad and Schedule for European Leg
3. If Not Harmanpreet, Then Who?
Penalty corner specialists hunt in pairs. Most top hockey nations have at least two recognised drag-flickers who can both occupy the top of the circle, giving the opposition two threats to defend rather than one.
India still relies overwhelmingly on Harmanpreet Singh. If he is off form, injured, or simply has a quiet day, the question becomes immediate: who else can step up?
Jugraj Singh has been the traditional second option but his numbers this season, 1 from 6, do not inspire confidence. Amandeep Lakra is an interesting case. He scored 9 goals in the Hockey India League for his franchise and 2 at the Junior World Cup, showing he has the ability. But he has played only 3 matches for India and is yet to convert at senior international level. Amit Rohidas can still contribute but mostly takes hits now rather than drag-flicks, a different kind of penalty corner threat altogether.
Rotterdam and London are an opportunity to find out if India has a genuine second option, or if Harmanpreet remains a one-man penalty corner unit heading into the World Cup.
4. Harmanpreet’s Form and Leadership in FIH Pro League
During India’s home leg of FIH Pro League in Rourkela, Harmanpreet Singh’s positioning was a concern. He was rarely visible in the frame during defensive sequences, raising questions about his role as the last line of defence. There was also a visible drop in how quickly he covered ground, a problem for a player whose entire role depends on being the last man back, covering spaces before attackers get there.
Harmanpreet then took personal time away from the squad and missed all four matches of the Hobart leg in Australia.
He returns as captain for the European leg. The question is which version of Harmanpreet shows up. The one whose positioning and pace were under scrutiny in Rourkela, or a sharper, more engaged defender and leader.
As captain, his presence on the pitch sets the tone for the rest of the side. Rotterdam and London will tell us a lot about where he stands.
5. The World Cup Audition
This is the last Pro League leg before the World Cup squad is announced. 22 players are in this squad. 18 will go to the World Cup. Four will not. The question is which 4 players will miss the World Cup bus. Here is how things look right now.
Several positions are settled. Harmanpreet, Amit Rohidas, Sumit, Sanjay, and Jarmanpreet look set in defence. Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad are sure shots in midfield. Mandeep Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, and Abhishek look set in attack.
But several spots remain open. In defence, Yashdeep Siwach, Amandeep Lakra, and Jugraj Singh are all competing, with Jugraj under the most scrutiny given his recent form. The midfield, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, and Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem are fighting for the remaining spots, alongside Rajinder Singh, the least experienced of the group but talked about as a long-term successor to Sardar Singh’s role. In attack, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, and Selvam Karthi are all in contention for the remaining forward spots.
Goalkeeping has its own storyline. Suraj Karkera looks set to be India’s number one. The second spot is between Mohith and Krishan Bahadur Pathak. Pathak was expected to inherit the gloves after Sreejesh’s retirement in 2024. Instead, he finds himself on standby with others ahead of him in the pecking order.
Rotterdam and London are the last major opportunity for these players to make their case before the World Cup squad is finalised.
Read More: 411 Caps and Still Going: The Manpreet Singh Story
What FIH Pro League Need to Show
India head to Europe without a win and with more questions than answers. The World Cup is only two months away. Whether it is goals, penalty corners, Harmanpreet’s form, or the battle for World Cup places, Rotterdam and London should tell us whether India have learned from an ordinary Pro League campaign so far. They may not be looking to peak in June, but they will want signs that the pieces are beginning to come together before August.
2026 is a big year for Indian hockey. Nations Cup. World Cup. Asian Games. We will be covering every important moment of this journey. Subscribe to the Give Me Hockey newsletter and stay with us through all of it
