Asian Games: Deepika Scores Nine as India Women Hammer Thailand 20-1

India’s women’s hockey team continued its extraordinary goal-scoring run at the Asian Games 2026, producing another emphatic victory as it defeated Thailand 20-1 at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium on Wednesday.

The result marked India’s third consecutive win in Pool B and kept the team at the top of the group with nine points, strengthening its position in the race for the knockout stages.

At the centre of another dominant attacking display was drag-flick specialist Deepika, who scored a staggering nine goals to take her tournament tally to 20. Navneet Kaur added four goals, while Rutuja Dadaso Pisal completed a hat-trick as India maintained its remarkable scoring rate in Japan.

India had opened its campaign with a 19-0 victory over Uzbekistan before defeating Indonesia 17-1. Against Thailand, the attacking floodgates opened once again.

India wasted virtually no time establishing control. The team earned its first penalty corner in just the second minute, and Deepika made no mistake, finding the target to put India ahead.

Navneet doubled the advantage in the fourth minute with a powerful strike that went through the legs of Thailand goalkeeper Watsana Saetan. Deepika returned to the scoresheet in the eighth minute with another successful penalty-corner conversion before completing her hat-trick a minute later. Instead of relying on her trademark drag-flick, she produced a powerful hit to make it 4-0. Rutuja then joined the scoring spree. She scored twice in quick succession, first with a deft first-touch deflection off a Navneet centre before winning the ball inside the circle and finishing with a tomahawk.

India ended the opening quarter with a 6-0 lead, having kept Thailand under sustained pressure.

India 11-0 Ahead at Half-Time

The second quarter followed the same pattern. Neha scored in the 19th minute with a reverse hit into the corner after another well-timed assist from Navneet.

Deepika then added her fourth goal of the match in the 24th minute, once again beating the goalkeeper with a direct penalty-corner strike. Lalremsiami made it 9-0 with a field goal before Navneet converted a penalty stroke in the 29th minute after Baljeet Kaur was checked in a goal-scoring position.

India added another goal before half-time. Navneet’s penalty-corner attempt was blocked, but Sakshi reacted quickest to the rebound and found the net, sending India into the interval with an overwhelming 11-0 advantage.

India resumed the second half with the same intensity. Deepika scored again in the 33rd minute after a penalty corner was re-awarded following discussions between the umpires. She subsequently opted for a grounded flick and found the target. Navneet added another goal in the 35th minute, calmly lifting the ball into an empty net after the goalkeeper had been beaten.

Deepika was back on the scoresheet a minute later, unleashing another powerful drag-flick. She then converted yet another penalty corner in the 39th minute, taking her tally to eight for the match.

Thailand struggled to generate any sustained attacking momentum as India continued to dominate possession and territory. Salima Tete completed the third-quarter scoring in the 45th minute, tapping the ball into an open goal after Navneet created the opportunity.

India entered the final quarter 16-0 ahead.

Rutuja completed her hat-trick in the 47th minute, extending India's advantage further. Deepika came close to another goal shortly afterwards, only for the Thailand goalkeeper to make an excellent save. But the Indian drag-flicker would not have to wait long.

In the 51st minute, Deepika found the net again to register her eighth goal of the match. Navneet followed almost immediately with her fourth, taking India to 19. Thailand finally found a breakthrough in the 57th minute when Supansa Samanso converted their only penalty corner of the match.

India responded immediately. Another penalty corner followed, and Deepika stepped up once again. She converted it to complete her ninth goal of the match, taking India to a 20-1 victory.

The victory keeps India at the top of Pool B with nine points after three matches. Deepika has now scored 20 goals in the tournament, adding nine against Thailand to her previous tallies of eight against Uzbekistan and three against Indonesia. Navneet also produced another outstanding attacking performance with four goals, while Rutuja's hat-trick added to India's overwhelming offensive display.

India will next face Japan on September 25, with the team carrying enormous momentum after three consecutive victories and 56 goals scored across its opening three matches. For now, however, the headline belongs to Deepika.

Nine goals in one match. Twenty in the tournament. And another emphatic Indian victory.