August 18, 2026: India’s hopes of progressing in the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2026 face a crucial test against arch-rivals Pakistan following their defeat to England in the previous match. Speaking to JioStar, former India captain PR Sreejesh weighed in on the India-Pakistan rivalry, India’s defensive approach, and the importance of staying composed in pressure situations.
Sreejesh On India's New Formation
Speaking to JioStar, former captain PR Sreejesh shared his views on India's new formation and the defensive approach:
"The Indian men's hockey team has been playing a new formation for the past year and a half. That formation mostly forces us into defence, but in the recent Pro League, we pushed up and pressed hard in many matches. One important thing is that we need to stay compact in defence when playing against European teams. Otherwise, we should play our natural game in the World Cup. In defence, we used zonal marking, so we need to improve our understanding in that area. We should not drop too deep. We need to step out, press high, and defend even beyond the centre line."
On Harmanpreet Singh’s Captaincy
"Harmanpreet Singh is a very good captain. On the pitch, a captain's influence is limited because you cannot control every move or player. The person with the ball has to make the decision. Most of a captain's work happens off the pitch, keeping the team united, supporting younger players, helping them settle in, creating a positive team environment, taking players' concerns to the coach, clearing doubts, and making sure everyone understands the coach's instructions. So, for a hockey captain, the work off the field is much more important than what you do on the field."
India-Pakistan Rivalry Evolves
"Conceding goals in the last quarter or final minutes used to be a problem for us, but that is no longer the case. Now, we are the ones scoring late to win matches. Earlier, during the 35-minute halves, we used to make mistakes due to fitness or poor decision-making and let in goals. But since the four-quarter system came in, and even before that, we made big improvements in our fitness, strength, game awareness, and decision-making and because of that, matches against Pakistan are not as tough as they used to be. In the past, India vs Pakistan games were tight, often ending 1-0 or 2-1. Pakistan still have potential, but their current team’s level is not the same as before."
For Indian hockey fans, all 100 matches will stream live on JioHotstar, while India’s matches will be available with English and Hindi commentary on Star Sports channels. Beyond live action, fans can catch a host of shows building up to the global spectacle through JioStar's surround programming, including ‘The World Cup Dream’, 'Anthem in the Jersey’ and other shows that will give a glimpse of stories on fans, rivalries, national identities and the psychology of the game, bringing audiences closer to the people and stories behind the FIH Hockey World Cup.
Watch India vs Pakistan in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 tomorrow, August 19, 6.30 pm onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports.
Link for video: Watch the video
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