New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Hockey India announced the women’s squad for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Auckland, New Zealand from June 15 to 21.

Salima Tete will continue as the team’s captain for the tournament. Savita and Bichu Devi Kharibam will serve as dependable, experienced goalkeepers. In defence, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Ishika Chaudhary, Nikki Pradhan, and Jyoti bring significant international experience to the backline.

They will be joined by Lalthantluangi and Shilpi Dabas, who both earned their first senior call-ups during the recent Australia tour and are eager to continue developing at this level.

Salima will lead the midfield, supported by Neha, Sunelita Toppo, and Sakshi Rana. She will also be complemented by Deepika Soreng, who showed a strong performance during the friendly series in Australia.

Navneet Kaur will lead the attack and is anticipated to maintain her impressive goalscoring streak from recent international matches. She will be supported by Deepika, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Annu, and Ishika up front, along with seasoned attacking midfielders Lalremsiami and Sonam. Together, they offer a mix of speed, creativity, and precise finishing in the forward line.

India women approach the Nations Cup after a successful tour of Australia, where they participated in a four-match friendly series in Perth before the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26.

The series offered essential experience and allowed Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne to evaluate the squad. India secured a 2-2 draw against the hosts across four competitive games.

India have been placed in Pool A of the tournament alongside Japan, the United States, and Uruguay, while Pool B includes the hosts New Zealand, Chile, Korea, and France.

Chief Coach Marijne emphasised the significance of the team’s preparations for an important upcoming phase, beginning with the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26, followed by the FIH World Cup and the Asian Games.

“The Nations Cup is an important tournament for us. We want to go there and play with ambition to set a standard for ourselves that we can build on. We have built on those aspects in the Argentina and Australia tours, which gave us good preparation as a team. Now it is about taking the next step and showing that level consistently across a full tournament. The squad is motivated and ready for the challenge,” Marijne said.

Sharing his thoughts on the squad selection, the he added, “We have named a squad that has the right balance of experience and hunger. Players like Savita, Sushila, Nikki and Navneet have been in big tournaments before and know what it takes to perform under pressure. At the same time, we have players who are still developing at the highest level, and a tournament like this provides the environment where that growth happens. I am looking forward to seeing how this group comes together in Auckland.”

India will commence their Nations Cup campaign against the United States on Monday, June 15, followed by a match against Japan on Tuesday, June 16. They will then conclude the pool stage with a game against Uruguay on Thursday, June 18. The semi-finals are set for June 20,, and the final will take place on June 21.

India’s 20-member squad for FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2025-26:

Goalkeepers: Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam

Defenders: Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Ishika Chaudhary, Lalthantluangi, Shilpi Dabas, Jyoti, Nikki Pradhan

Midfielders: Salima Tete (c), Neha, Sunelita Toppo, Sakshi Rana, Deepika Soreng, Sonam, Lalremsiami

Forwards: Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Ishika, Annu

–IANS

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