India off to flying start in Johor Cup

Captain Rohit struck twice to lead the Indian junior men’s hockey team to a spirited 3–2 victory over Great Britain in their opening match of the Sultan of Johor Cup on Saturday.

In a gripping contest marked by end-to-end action and fine goalkeeping, India showed determination and composure to prevail in a hard-fought encounter. Rohit (45+’, 52’) was the star of the evening, scoring both his goals through penalty corners, while Ravneet Singh (23’) added one in the first half. For Great Britain, Michael Royden (26’) and Kaden Draysey (46’) were on target.

Both teams began aggressively, trading attacking runs in the first quarter but failing to find the net. India earned their first penalty corner in the 13th minute but were denied by Great Britain’s solid defence. Another penalty corner in the 16th minute was also thwarted by the alert British goalkeeper, who made back-to-back saves to keep his side in the game.

India came close to breaking the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Manmeet Singh’s powerful shot was cleared off the line. Moments later, persistence paid off Gurjot Singh made a penetrating run from the right flank and slipped a clever pass across goal for Ravneet, who tapped in confidently in the 23rd minute.

However, Great Britain hit back quickly. Their captain Max Anderson drove into the circle and set up Royden, who found the top left corner with precision to make it 1–1 in the 26th minute. The first half ended evenly poised, with India making 10 circle entries compared to Britain’s nine.

The second half saw both teams tighten their defence, but the deadlock broke again late in the third quarter. In the 45th minute, Indian goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh produced a stunning save off a British penalty corner. Seconds later, India earned a set-piece of their own, and Rohit fired home a blazing drag flick to restore India’s lead.

Great Britain responded immediately through Draysey, who converted a penalty stroke in the 46th minute to level the score once more. Yet, India refused to back down. They earned three consecutive penalty corners between the 50th and 52nd minutes, and Rohit capitalised on the final opportunity with a powerful strike to seal a memorable 3–2 win.

The victory gave India a confident start to their Sultan of Johor Cup campaign. They will next face New Zealand on Sunday, aiming to continue their strong momentum.