Hockey India Announce U18 Men’s Squad For Asia Cup 2026 As Ketan Kushwaha Leads India’s Title Push
Hockey India on Wednesday announced the 18-member India U18 Men’s squad for the upcoming U18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara, Japan, with forward Ketan Kushwaha set to captain the side in one of the most important junior continental tournaments of the year.
The tournament will be held from May 29 to June 6 and will feature some of Asia’s strongest youth hockey nations, including Japan, South Korea and Kazakhstan. India enter the competition with high expectations after weeks of intensive preparation in Bhopal under the guidance of legendary former India captain Sardar Singh and coach Rajnish Mishra.
The squad selection follows an extensive national coaching camp held at the Udhav Das Mehta (Bhai Ji) Central SAI Centre in Bhopal, where players were assessed through tactical drills, match simulations and exposure fixtures against Australia’s U18 side earlier this month.
That Australia series proved especially important for India’s preparation.
The Indian U18 team played four matches against the visiting Australians, winning one, losing one and drawing the remaining two. More than the results themselves, the series gave the players valuable exposure to the physicality, speed and tactical intensity of international youth hockey. For a relatively young squad preparing for a continental championship, those matches are expected to play a major role in helping the team handle pressure situations in Japan.
India’s campaign will begin on May 29 against Kazakhstan before tougher group-stage fixtures against hosts Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei. The top teams from the group stage will advance to the semifinals scheduled for June 5, with the final taking place on June 6.
The fixture against Japan on May 31 is already being viewed as a potentially decisive encounter in the group. Playing the hosts on home turf will test India’s composure, especially considering Japan’s strong structure and growing reputation in junior hockey. However, India’s biggest challenge may come from South Korea, traditionally one of Asia’s strongest hockey nations at the junior level. Their fast-paced attacking hockey and tactical discipline have often troubled Indian teams in age-group competitions.
India will therefore need consistency across all four pool matches if they hope to finish at the top of the standings and secure a favourable semifinal route.
Captain Ketan Kushwaha is expected to be central to India’s ambitions.
The forward impressed during the Australia exposure series with his movement, pressing and finishing ability. One of the more energetic attackers in the squad, Ketan has gradually emerged as a leader within the junior setup and now carries the responsibility of guiding India through a major international tournament.
His attacking partnership with players like Akash Deep, Gazee Khan and Shahrukh Ali could become one of India’s biggest strengths in Japan.
The midfield unit also looks balanced, with Rahul Yadav, Premchand Soy, Varinder Singh, Karan Gautam and Siddharth Ben expected to provide both defensive stability and transition play. During the Australia series, India showed flashes of impressive attacking hockey, particularly when pressing aggressively in midfield and countering quickly through wide channels.
Defensively, India will rely heavily on players such as Ansh Bahutra, Romit Pal and Arman Soreng, who all gained valuable experience during the exposure matches in Bhopal. Goalkeepers Sawan Kumar and Ayush Rajak will also carry significant responsibility, especially in tight matches against stronger opposition.
Speaking after the squad announcement, coach Sardar Singh stressed the importance of tactical discipline and preparation heading into the tournament.
“The selection process was incredibly competitive, but we have picked an 18-member squad that gives us the perfect tactical balance,” Sardar said. “Our training in Bhopal and the exposure matches against a top-tier side like Australia gave these boys a great understanding of international pressure and match tempo.”
The former India captain also underlined the team’s ambition of competing for the title.
“We have spent the last few weeks working heavily on our tactical discipline, penalty corner routines and structure. The boys are in high spirits, and our objective is clear we want to execute our plans effectively, top our group and put ourselves in the best possible position to bring home the trophy.”
India’s junior hockey structure has historically played a crucial role in producing future senior internationals. Several members of the current senior men’s team progressed through age-group tournaments similar to the U18 Asia Cup before establishing themselves internationally. That makes this competition important not only from a results perspective, but also from a developmental standpoint.
With the Junior World Cup cycle approaching and Indian hockey continuing to invest heavily in youth systems, performances in Japan could shape the future trajectory of several players within the national setup. The exposure against Australia has already shown that this Indian side possesses attacking quality and fighting spirit. The next challenge will be converting potential into consistency against Asia’s best youth teams.
India U18 Men’s Squad For Asia Cup 2026
Goalkeepers: Sawan Kumar, Ayush Rajak
Defenders: Ansh Bahutra, Arman Soreng, Ashish Tani Purti, Arshdip Singh, Avi Manikpuri, Romit Pal
Midfielders: Rahul Yadav, Premchand Soy, Varinder Singh, Karan Gautam, Siddharth Ben
Forwards: Ketan Kushwaha (Captain), Akash Deep, Gazee Khan, Shahrukh Ali, Prahalad Rajbhar
India’s Match Schedule (IST)
May 29: India vs Kazakhstan – 09:30 AM
May 31: India vs Japan – 01:30 PM
June 1: India vs South Korea – 03:30 PM
June 3: India vs Chinese Taipei – 01:30 PM
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