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

India aims to leverage home advantage in the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, facing tough competition from England and others.

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.