Jalandhar, Oct 26: India have suffered a setback ahead of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026, with experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a calf injury during a training session.

 Representational Image 

Vivek Sagar Prasad has been named as Manpreet’s replacement as the Indian men’s hockey team prepares to defend its title on home soil. The tournament begins on October 27, with six teams competing for the championship.

India captain Harmanpreet Singh confirmed the development during a press conference involving the captains of all six participating teams, stating that Manpreet had picked up the injury in training and would miss the competition.

Missed Opportunity for Manpreet in Punjab

Manpreet’s withdrawal comes at a particularly disappointing time for the veteran midfielder, who was looking forward to playing in his home state. Despite making his senior international debut in 2011 and building an illustrious career, he had yet to play before fans in Punjab.

The midfielder has represented India in 430 matches, won two Olympic medals and secured three Asian Games gold medals, establishing himself as one of the country’s most experienced players.

His absence will be a loss for India as the team looks to maintain its dominance in the continental competition. Vivek Sagar Prasad will now have an opportunity to step into the squad and contribute to India’s title defence.

India Begin Campaign Against Bangladesh

India will open their campaign against Bangladesh on October 27. Their remaining league-stage fixtures are against China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2.

The league stage will be held in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2. The tournament will then move to the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali for the semi-finals and medal matches scheduled for November 4 and 5.

India Aim for Sixth Asian Champions Trophy Title

India enter the ninth edition of the Asian Champions Trophy as the competition’s most successful team, having won the title five times. South Korea are the only other participating team to have previously lifted the trophy.

Malaysia, Japan, China, South Korea and Bangladesh will challenge the hosts in this year’s tournament.

With Manpreet unavailable, India will look to regroup quickly and begin their title defence strongly in front of home supporters.