India face Malaysia in Jalandhar as both unbeaten in Asian Champions Trophy
India, the defending champions, meet Malaysia on Sunday in their fourth league match of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy at Jalandhar's Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, with both teams unbeaten after three wins apiece.
Speaking on the sidelines of the tournament at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, Harmanpreet, popularly known as 'Sarpanch', said hosting an international tournament of this stature in the State for the first time is a matter of pride and added: "The stadium is jam-packed and the energy of the crowd is electrifying. It boosts the team morale to a great extent. I started my hockey here and representing the country on the same turf is a big thing. Interacting with everyone's families around makes it even more special," he said. The twice Olympics Bronze Medalist at Tokyo & Paris also said the side is shaping up well and on matches that test patience: "We displayed calmness and a balanced mindset during the first three quarters. We didn't score but we didn't concede either. In the last quarter we upped the tempo. The main thing is to have a strong mindset and stay focused throughout the 60 minutes," he added. On the upcoming match, described as decisive for the pool topper, Harmanpreet — also described as a Double Gold Medal winner at Hangzhou and Aichi Nagoya Asian Games in the source — said: "Every team is good. They haven't changed their tactics much. Our focus is on what we can do and are capable of achieving. Knowing your opponent is vital and you learn from each of the previous 10 matches you have played against them (Malaysia)," he stated.
Since 2013 India and Malaysia have met 27 times: their first meeting ended in a draw, India have won 20 of those matches and Malaysia have beaten India four times, with Malaysia's last victory coming in the 2018 Asian Games via a penalty shootout described in the source as "crazy." The two sides last met in the Asian Games final, when India won 5-1, and their most recent Asian Champions Trophy meeting mentioned in the source saw India record a 4-3 comeback win in 2023.
Both teams enter the match on three wins but India sit above Malaysia on goal difference, a standing that makes the Jalandhar clash important for deciding the pool topper and for each side’s prospects of securing a top-two finish to strengthen their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
India’s scoring has been led by Harmanpreet Singh, who has five penalty-corner goals, while Abhishek and Mandeep Singh have each scored three times. Malaysia’s primary threats listed in the source are Abu Kamal Azrai with four goals, and Akhimullah Anuar and Azimuddin Kamaruddin with three goals apiece.
In their most recent outing India required a late surge to beat Japan 4-1; Harmanpreet broke the deadlock in the final period with a powerful dragflick and Abhishek and Vishnukant Singh also scored as India pulled away. Earlier in the campaign India opened with a 13-0 win over Bangladesh and followed that with a 5-2 victory over China, while Malaysia have also recorded three wins.
With the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals, Sunday’s meeting at Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium will directly affect pool standings as both sides aim to preserve their unbeaten records and secure the positions that strengthen their route into the knockout phase.