How they qualified: Host nation

Notable honours: 8x Olympic gold medallists (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980), Olympic silver medallists (1960), 3x Olympic bronze medallists (1968, 1972, 2021), FIH Men’s World Cup champions (1975), 3x Asian Games champions (1966, 1998, 2014), 2x Asia Cup champions (2003, 2007). 2x Champions Trophy silver medallists (2016, 2018), 3rd Place: Hockey Pro League (2021-22), Hockey World League bronze medallists (2015, 2017).

Rank in previous WC editions: 1971 – 3rd, 1973 – 2nd, 1975 – 1st, 1978 – 6th, 1982 – 5th, 1986 – 12th, 1990 – 10th, 1994 – 5th, 1998 – 9th, 2002 – 10th, 2006 – 11th, 2010 – 8th, 2014 – 9th, 2018 – 6th.

After years of sliding down the FIH World Rankings which culminated in failure to qualify for the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 – a competition that they had won a record eight times – India are back at the top table of the global game. A bronze medal at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was a landmark moment for the team, who followed it up with a third-place finish in the 2021-22 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League.

Head coach Graham Reid is getting the best out of the group, injecting a tactical discipline to their trademark skilful, fluid playing style, making them a team both respected and feared in equal measure. The star of the show is Harmanpreet Singh, a fabulous defender and one of the best drag flickers in the game, while goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, midfield ace Manpreet Singh and striker Mandeep Singh all capable of game-changing moments.

Despite the undeniable pressure that comes with being the competition hosts, this India team has all the attributes needed to claim their first FIH Men’s World Cup title since 1975.

One to watch: Harmanpreet Singh. India’s drag-flicking defender is a proven match winner who, at Tokyo 2020, played a crucial role in helping his team back onto the Olympic podium after an absence of 41 years. Named FIH Player of the Year both 2021 and 2022, Also finished top scorer of the 2021-22 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League.