Handshake question aside, India and Pakistan meet in do-or-die World Cup clash
India face Pakistan at the men's Hockey World Cup 2026 in a must-win group game starting at 6:30 pm IST, with the match livestreamed on JioStar and broadcast on the Star Sports Network. Spectators will also be watching whether the teams exchange a handshake before kickoff.
The rivalry has skewed in India's favour in recent years: the sides have met 185 times overall — Pakistan 84 wins, India 73, 28 draws — and India lead 3-2 in World Cup meetings. India entered the fixture on the back of heavy recent victories over Pakistan, including a 10-2 win at the Asian Games in 2023 and a 7-1 result in the FIH Pro League on June 27, 2026, and Pakistan have not beaten India on the hockey turf for close to a decade.
Hockey India told media in November last year it would follow the Olympic Charter and International Hockey Federation guidelines rather than adopt cricket-style handshakes; India Today contacted HI for confirmation on the current match but received no reply. Players have performed high fives in recent FIH Pro League games and at junior levels, a practice that may recur before this fixture.
Tactical questions surround India after their first two World Cup matches, when coach Craig Fulton used a 4-3-3 that England exposed by creating chances and carving open the defence. India’s primary attacking outlet has remained penalty corners while forwards have struggled for midfield support and on-the-run runners — a problem that echoed an Asia Cup 2025 concern — and a shift to a 3-1-3-3 system previously allowed captain Harmanpreet Singh to operate deeper as a playmaker and free Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh to push forward.
Goalkeeper and senior player PR Sreejesh outlined both recent tactical developments and broader changes in Indian hockey: "Since the four-quarter system came in, and even before that, we made big improvements in our fitness, strength, game awareness, and decision-making and because of that, matches against Pakistan are not as tough as they used to be. In the past, India vs Pakistan games were tight, often ending 1-0 or 2-1. Pakistan still have potential, but their current team’s level is not the same as before," said Sreejesh. He added: "The Indian men's hockey team has been playing a new formation for the past year and a half. That formation mostly forces us into defence, but in the recent Pro League, we pushed up and pressed hard in many matches. One important thing is that we need to stay compact in defence when playing against European teams. Otherwise, we should play our natural game in the World Cup. In defence, we used zonal marking, so we need to improve our understanding in that area. We should not drop too deep. We need to step out, press high, and defend even beyond the centre line," said Sreejesh.
Former India player Romeo James urged his side to contain aggression to the field and then be cordial off it: "You show it on the ground. You show your clear instinct on the ground. Yes, you score more goals and you tell them. Just play the game, be friendly outside, shake hands. Shaking hands doesn't make a difference, you know. On the ground, be 100 percent up for it," said James. Pakistan legend Tauqeer Dar stressed the one-day nature of the fixture: "I believe the India-Pakistan match is a different ball game. It is on the day. It has got nothing to do with the records, what happened last month or last week. It is on the day." "It is something other than logic and skill. More of a temperament game," said Pakistan legend Tauqeer Dar. James also commented on pressure and styles: "No doubt pressure is there, but now with all these experienced guys, they know how to deal, so I'm not too much, worried about it. I think they should be able to put up against Pakistan easily." "And because, we play very, safe game, not flamboyant, whereas Pakistan, they play flamboyant hockey. Pakistan are individually, brilliant, you know, so we play to our strengths. India has an advantage of 70-30," said James.
The match carries immediate qualification stakes: "If India win, they're through to the next round and eliminate their arch-rivals. If Pakistan win, they eliminate India from reaching the second round and then have to wait and see if England can beat Wales. A draw, however, complicates things for India, as they will have to hope that Wales lose to England or that the match ends in a draw." The outcome will therefore decide which side progresses to the World Cup second round and which must rely on other group results.
