Sardar Singh: Pakistan pullout will not derail India's Asian Champions Trophy campaign

Former India captain Sardar Singh said on October 26, 2026, that Pakistan's withdrawal from the Asian Champions Trophy would have little impact on India's chances in the tournament, insisting the hosts must focus on beating the teams who are taking part.

Pakistan had been expected to participate but withdrew after seeking to have their matches moved to a neutral venue, a decision Sardar described as between the Pakistan Hockey Federation and the Asian Hockey Federation and not a matter for India to be distracted by. "No, it doesn't really make a difference to us. You might have noticed that, initially, it was expected that the Pakistan team would participate, but they subsequently withdrew, for whatever reasons. Honestly, this doesn't weigh heavily on us. We are well aware that we have defeated Pakistan in the last 15-20 consecutive matches," Sardar said.

Sardar reiterated that India's focus should be on the five other teams present and on delivering strong performances, rather than lamenting the absence of a familiar rival. He said India remain ambitious for the title and pointed to the team's standing in Asia as a basis for that aim: "There is no doubt that we are the number one team in Asia; our goal is simply to play high-quality hockey," he said.

The former captain noted that Pakistan's decision removed one of the tournament's more anticipated matchups but said it should not change India's approach to winning the event. Sardar emphasised the practical challenge for the hosts is to maintain standards across matches against the remaining opponents.

Sardar also highlighted the local dimension for several squad members, referencing players from Punjab and their ties to Jalandhar as a potential motivating factor when playing at home. "Many players, including several from Punjab, some of whom began their hockey journey in Jalandhar, are now playing in front of their home crowd. My hope is that they play excellent hockey and win this Asian Trophy for the country," he said.

India will proceed in the competition without facing Pakistan and, according to Sardar, should concentrate on securing the title by performing against the five teams that have arrived.