India's best performers at FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2025

Sharda Nand Tiwari scored all three penalty strokes in India’s quarter-final shootout win over Belgium.

The Indian team’s campaign at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 ended on Sunday, December 7 in Chennai.

They faced a disappointing 1-5 loss against Germany in the semi-final to crash out of the tournament.

India were terrific with wins in all three pool games and topped their respective group. In particular, they secured a crushing 17-0 victory over Oman. Then, the quarter-finals witnessed the Men in Blue beating Belgium 4-3 in the shootout after a 2-2 draw.

Overall, it was a fine campaign for the Indian team, despite them failing to win their third title. Let’s take a look at the five players who impressed with their performances from the host nation.

Prince Deep Singh makes some incredible saves to help India edge Belgium in the quarters. This will be India's third consecutive semis since 2021.📱 Stream all the matches from the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 Live on https://t.co/71D0pOq2OG.#Hockey pic.twitter.com/hUX0VYXzd4

— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) December 5, 2025

India’s top performers at FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025:

#5 Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep was an impactful performer in the tournament, where he garnered four goals. Coming in with a reputation of leading the Hyderabad Toofans to the Hockey India League 2024-25 final, the 21-year-old did well to continue his good form.

Arshdeep scored a hat-trick in India’s 17-0 thrashing of Oman in the group stage. Having already represented the Indian senior team, the talented forward will definitely be one of the bright players to watch out for in the near future.

#4 Prince Deep Singh

Goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh produced a terrific performance in the showpiece event and left a strong impression. Under the leadership of coach and legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, he stood tall in crunch situations.

Prince’s sensational saves in the shootout against Belgium’s Nicolas Bogaerts and Nathan Rogge in the quarterfinal helped the Indian team to reach the top four. With a composed presence and quick thinking, the 21-year-old is an asset for the senior side for the years to come.

#3 Dilraj Singh

Dilraj Singh was expected to perform well in the World Cup, given his impressive form in the recent tournaments. He eventually finished as India’s joint highest-scorer with five goals.

Dilraj contributed with two goals in India’s 7-0 win against Chile, and scored three goals to help the side post a dominating victory over Oman. The 19-year-old will now look to put up strong performances in the upcoming tournaments to make his case stronger for the senior team.

Also Read: FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup: India’s record over the years

#2 Manmeet Singh

Manmeet Singh was the joint-highest scorer for India with five goals and is following the path of his idol and senior midfielder Hardik Singh. He has the ability to create consistent chances and proved to be a successful finisher.

Manmeet’s best performance came against Switzerland, where he hit two goals to pave the way for the Indian team to win the game 5-0. Meanwhile, he contributed with three goals to play a key role in India’s 17-0 victory over Oman.

#1 Sharda Nand Tiwari

The talented defender, Shardanand Tiwari, has been one of the most consistent junior performers in the last few years. He continued his sublime form in the World Cup as well, chipping in with important goals.

Tiwari hit four goals throughout the tournament, with two of them coming against Switzerland. It is interesting to note that the dragflicker successfully converted all three penalties to help India win the quarterfinal against Belgium in a thrilling fashion.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram