Deepika nets nine as India rout Thailand 20-1 at Asian Games 2026
India routed Thailand 20-1 at the Asian Games 2026 on Wednesday at Kawasaki Juko Stadium in Japan, with Deepika scoring nine goals in a dominant display.
A light drizzle welcomed the Indian women’s hockey team, who completed a hat-trick of pool wins after earlier victories of 19-0 over Uzbekistan and 17-1 over Indonesia; the result kept India firmly on top in Pool B with nine points and put a foot into the knockouts. Deepika’s nine-goal haul took her tournament total to 20, adding to eight against Uzbekistan and three vs Indonesia, while Navneet Kaur contributed four goals and Rutuja Dadaso Pisal finished with a hat-trick.
India earned the first of their 23 penalty corners in the second minute and Deepika converted to open the scoring. Navneet doubled the lead in the fourth minute with a hit that went through Thailand goalkeeper Watsana Saetan, then Deepika converted another penalty corner in the eighth minute and completed a hat-trick in the ninth with a powerful hit instead of her usual drag-flick. Rutuja opened her account in the 10th minute with a first-touch deflection from a Navneet centre and added a second in the 11th with a tomahawk finish.
The second quarter began with Neha scoring in the 19th minute from a reverse hit assisted by Navneet, and Deepika added her fourth in the 24th minute from a direct hit on a penalty corner. Lalremsiami made it 9-0 with a field goal before Navneet converted a penalty stroke in the 29th minute after Baljeet Kaur was checked at a goal-scoring position. Just before half-time, Navneet’s penalty-corner attempt was blocked but Sakshi reacted to the rebound to make it 11-0 at the interval.
In the third quarter Deepika struck from a re-awarded penalty corner in the 33rd minute with a grounded flick to make it 12-0, and Navneet finished a flowing move in the 35th minute by lifting the ball into an empty net. Deepika then scored again from a penalty corner in the 36th minute with a drag-flick, and after a couple of unconverted corners she slotted another in the 39th minute. Salima Tete completed a move started by Sushila’s hit and Navneet’s lay-off to tap into an open goal, taking the score to 16-0 at the end of the third quarter.
Rutuja completed her hat-trick with a tap-in in the 47th minute, and Deepika came close soon after only for the Thailand goalkeeper to produce a fine save. Deepika scored again in the 51st minute to register her eighth of the match, Navneet followed immediately with her fourth to make it 19-0, and Thailand’s Supansa Samanso converted their only penalty corner in the 57th minute. India earned another penalty corner seconds later and Deepika converted to complete her nine-goal performance and seal the 20-1 victory.
The result was India’s biggest margin of victory in this edition so far and left them level on points with hosts Japan but ahead on goal difference in Pool B; India will next face Japan on September 25.