India have made a strong start to the Men's Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026, winning their opening two matches and continuing their title defence on home soil. With international hockey returning to Punjab, the tournament is being played across Jalandhar and Mohali from October 27 to November 5.
The Indian men's hockey team began its campaign with a commanding 13–0 victory over Bangladesh on October 27 before defeating China 5–2 in their second league-stage match on October 29.
Led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, the hosts will now face Japan, Malaysia and South Korea in their remaining league-stage fixtures.
India's matches played so far
India have secured two consecutive victories in the tournament.
October 27: India vs Bangladesh: India won 13–0.
October 29: India vs China: India won 5–2.
With these results, India have collected six points from their first two matches.
India's remaining league-stage matches
The Indian team has three more league-stage encounters scheduled, all at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.
October 30: India vs Japan – 7 PM
November 1: Malaysia vs India – 7 PM
November 2: India vs South Korea – 7 PM
The match against Japan will be particularly important, as both teams entered the fixture with two consecutive wins.
Semi-finals and final in Mohali
After the league stage concludes on November 2, the tournament will move to Mohali for the knockout rounds.
The top four teams from the six-team round-robin stage will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled for November 4.
The bronze-medal match and the final will take place on November 5 at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.
November 4: Semi-finals
November 5: Bronze-medal match and final
Six teams competing for the title
The tournament features six teams: India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh.
India enter the competition as defending champions after winning the 2024 edition. The hosts have also won the Asian Champions Trophy five times and will be looking to add another title to their record.
With three league-stage matches remaining, India's campaign will now move towards the crucial knockout stage, with Jalandhar and Mohali hosting the tournament's major fixtures.
