The Indian men’s hockey team produced a dominant display to thrash arch-rivals Pakistan 7-1 in the reverse fixture of the FIH Pro League’s London leg.
Result
The contest began at a frenetic pace, with India earning the first penalty corner inside 90 seconds following a sharp baseline run by Mandeep Singh. After India lost a video referral, Pakistan captain Abu Bakar Mahmood converted the ensuing drag-flick to put his side 1-0 ahead. Towards the end of the third quarter, India won four successive penalty corners, with Raj Kumar Pal reacting quickest to tap in the rebound off Harmanpreet’s drag-flick and extend the lead to 6-1.
Pakistan, however, looked dangerous on the counter and won a penalty corner in the 13th minute.
Key Moments
After conceding an early goal, India stormed back through strikes from Sukhjeet Singh (20th), Harmanpreet Singh (26th), Hardik Singh (34th), Jugraj Singh (35th), Abhishek (41st), Raj Kumar Pal (44th) and Dilpreet Singh (54th) to register an emphatic victory at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London on Friday (June 26, 2026). India seized control in the second quarter with quick ball movement and accurate long passes that stretched the Pakistan defence. Pakistan suffered a setback in the 18th minute when Ahmad Nadeem was struck on the face by a deflected pass from teammate Ali Ghazanfar and had to leave the field. India’s relentless attack continued as Sukhjeet set up Abhishek, who scored on the run in the 41st minute. India remained disciplined at the back in the final quarter while continuing to press forward. Dilpreet completed the rout with the seventh goal in the 54th minute.
