Analysing Indian women's squad for FIH Pro League ties against Spain

The Women in Blue will play the two matches on 26th and 27th February.

The Indian women’s hockey team will resume their FIH Pro League 2021-22 campaign with two back-to-back fixtures against Spain over the weekend. The team began the tournament with an impressive double win over China and will hope to continue their form against the Spanish. 

In preparation for the matches, Hockey India announced a 22-member Indian squad that will represent the country against Spain.

The squad is as follows: 

Goalkeepers: Savita (Captain), Bichu Devi Kharibam, Rajani Etimarpu 

Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka (Vice-Captain), Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary 

Midfielders: Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Monika, Neha, Navjot Kaur, Namita Toppo 

Forwards: Vandana Katariya, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Rajwinder Kaur

Standbys: Rashmita Minz, Akshata Dhekale, Sonika, Mariana Kujur, Aishwarya Rajesh Chavan

The coach of the Indian women’s team Janneke Schopman responded to the team selection by saying, “We are excited to kick-off our home Pro League games Vs Spain. We had two good training weeks after our return from Oman and I believe the selected 22 players will be ready to show what they can against Spain,”

The FIH Pro League matches against Spain will be exciting. The Indian team will hope to make the most of home advantage in order to secure wins and consolidate their position at the top of the points table.

Key Players

Gurjit Kaur

The defender will be vital to the Indian cause, especially from penalty-corner situations. She scored both goals in the 2-1 win over China in the previous FIH Pro League contest. Both strikes came from penalty-corners and her power will be a major asset for the team. Furthermore, her reading of the game while defending becomes a major aspect of keeping oppositions quiet.

Neha Goyal

Neha Goyal is one of the hardest-working players in the Indian team. Her work-rate is commendable and she contributes in all areas of the turf. Neha found herself on the scoresheet against China in the inaugural FIH Pro League fixture and could have scored more. Her positioning at the far post is hard to contain, while the midfielder also likes to spread the ball to the marauding wingers. Neha’s defensive work, where she breaks plays and makes interceptions, becomes indispensable as well.

Vandana Katariya

Padma Shree Vandana Katariya spearheads the forward line for the Indian team and is part of the 22-member squad. She scored against China in the inaugural fixture that India won 7-1 and will look to get amongst the scorers against Spain. Her hat-trick at the Tokyo Olympics brought the forward into the limelight and now fans have huge expectations from her.

Captain

Savita Punia will be the captain of the team in the absence of Rani Rampal. The goalkeeper was a consistent performer against China in the opening two FIH Pro League fixtures and gave a good account of herself at the Asia Cup in Oman previously. Shutting down Spain will be a tough task and Savita will have her hands full when the teams step out onto the turf.

Vice-Captain

Deep Grace Ekka shoulders the responsibility of being the vice-captain. A defender by trade, she is also an option in penalty-corner situations. The management must work on more variations in penalty-corners, as it was a shortcoming in the past. This is where Ekka will be crucial, giving support to Gurjit Kaur, who is the first-choice.

Notable Mentions

There are several individuals that will play crucial roles when India meets Spain at the Kalinga Stadium for the double-header. Sushila Chanu is a relentless figure in midfield. She loves to get forward and scored twice in the 7-1 win against China. Sharmila Devi is amongst the forwards who has a mean shooting ability. She can cause trouble to any defence on her day. Salima Tete creates a lot of scoring opportunities for the attackers. The Spanish defenders will have their hands full coming up against her.

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