New Delhi, 15 October (H.S.): Indian men’s hockey goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak is set to return to the national team after an absence of more than nine months. He is expected to guard India’s goal at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2026, scheduled to be held in Jalandhar and Mohali, Punjab, from October 27 to November 5.

The opportunity is particularly significant for the 29-year-old goalkeeper, as he will represent India in his home state of Punjab for the first time.

Pathak has been included in India’s 18-member squad, replacing Mohith H. S. His last appearance for the national team came during India’s tour of South Africa in December 2025. Since then, he has been training with India’s development team in Bengaluru, focusing on improving his goalkeeping skills.

From Learning Hockey in Jalandhar to Representing India on the Same Ground

The Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar holds special significance for Pathak. He spent seven years learning and developing his hockey skills at the Surjit Hockey Academy, located at the same venue. He will now return to the ground to represent India in an international tournament.

Speaking to Hockey India, Pathak said, “What makes this opportunity even more special for me and the other players from the Surjit Hockey Academy is that we will be playing on the same ground where we learned hockey for seven years. I do not think anything could be more special than this. I would like to thank the Punjab Government and Hockey India for giving us this opportunity.”

156 International Appearances and a Renewed Focus on Improvement

Pathak has represented India in 156 international matches. He previously served as the second-choice goalkeeper alongside veteran custodian P. R. Sreejesh, who retired after the Paris Olympics in 2024. Pathak is now keen to draw on his experience and make the most of his return to the national side.

While the Indian team was making history in Japan during the Asian Games, Pathak was working on refining his goalkeeping skills in Bengaluru. Before the Asian Games, he had also travelled with the Indian squad to the Netherlands and Belgium for the FIH World Cup as a non-playing member.

Pathak said, “I was working with the development team here in Bengaluru on the areas that the coach had asked me to improve. I believe I have made progress in those areas, and my entire focus is now on making the most of this opportunity at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy.”

He added, “We played matches against Karnataka’s senior national team in Bengaluru. Apart from playing matches and practising with the team, we also had additional goalkeeping sessions to ensure that I continued working on the areas identified for improvement.”

India to Open Campaign Against Bangladesh on October 27

Defending champions India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh in Jalandhar on October 27. They will subsequently face China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2.

All league matches will be played in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2. The semi-finals and medal matches are scheduled to take place in Mohali on November 4 and 5.

India are the most successful team in the history of the tournament, having won the title five times. The country emerged joint champions in 2011, 2016 and 2018 before winning the title outright in 2023 and 2024.

With the tournament returning to Punjab, Pathak will have the opportunity to combine his international experience with the added motivation of representing his country on the very ground where his hockey journey began.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar