Overview
- India head coach Craig Fulton said the same squad will play both the FIH World Cup and the Asian Games, stressing a single selection plan.
- Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said separate teams remain an option with selectors to decide closer to the events, reflecting a focus on the Asian Games Olympic berth.
- The World Cup runs August 15–30 in the Netherlands and Belgium and the Asian Games start September 19 in Japan, a three-week gap that both leaders say makes peaking twice difficult.
- Fulton said recent Pro League losses in Rourkela and Hobart were used to test new players, with a long training block and a London leg planned to lock in the core group.
- India drew Pakistan, England and Wales in World Cup Pool D, and management defended rotation moves such as resting veteran Manpreet Singh as part of pre-planned player management.