India keen to ride on home comforts in Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers

The India women’s team will have a second, and final, chance to seal its place at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup 2026 when the Qualifiers get underway at the G.M.C. Balayogi Hockey Ground in Hyderabad on Sunday (March 8, 2026).

After missing direct qualification by finishing runner-up at the 2025 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup, India will look to make its chance count in the comfort of home. That proposition isn’t without its challenges, given that the event marks returning head coach Sjoerd Marijne’s first assignment.

India (ninth) is the second-highest-ranked team in the competition, behind only England, which ranks two places higher. Understandably, both teams are widely considered among the favourites to progress.

India’s squad features a healthy blend of youth and experience. Still, it remains to be seen how quickly the players adapt to Marijne’s methods – centred on high pressing, rapid transitions and aggressive counterattacking play – given his second innings is still in its infancy.

Marijne has shown considerable faith in a group of emerging players, including Bansari Solanki, Sakshi Rana, Annu, Ishika, and Deepika Soreng, as he looks to build a team capable of delivering results.

Veteran keeper Savita Punia and forward Sangita Kumari are notably absent from the mix, the former pulling out due to personal reasons and the latter left out of the squad.

Despite the presence of experienced defenders like Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam and Nikki Pradhan, India’s backline – particularly its ability to deal with penalty corners – remains an area of concern. Captain Salima Tete acknowledged this as an area of work ahead of the competition.

Perhaps the biggest challenge awaiting the teams will be the sweltering conditions, with temperatures already hovering around 34°C and expected to rise further in the days to come. Some teams have, as a result, incorporated sauna sessions into their preparations to acclimatise. Wales is one among them.

“We are very fortunate that we ended up in India’s group, so we have late games. We can’t complain too much about that,” Welsh captain Elizabeth Bingham said with a wry smile.

India has been placed in Pool B alongside lower-ranked Scotland, Uruguay and Wales who are well capable of springing a surprise. Pool A comprises England, South Korea, Italy, and Austria, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semifinals.

With another leg of Qualifiers just concluded in Chile, the best three from both tournaments and the cumulative best fourth-placed side will advance to the World Cup.