Asian Games 2026: Deepika scores nine as India hammer Thailand in women's hockey

Deepika Sehrawat now has 20 goals to her name from just three matches

While it drizzled to welcome the Indian women’s hockey team at the Kawasaki Juko Stadium on Wednesday, it rained goals once again as India completed a hat-trick of wins by hammering Thailand 20-1 at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan.

The win kept India firmly on top in Pool B of the competition with nine points and a foot into the knockouts.

Drag-flicker Deepika continued to excel, scoring a staggering nine goals as her tournament tally soared to 20—adding to her eight goals against Uzbekistan and three against Indonesia. Veteran striker Navneet Kaur contributed four goals, while Rutuja Dadaso Pisal also scored a hat-trick. 

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India, who had begun their campaign with a 19-0 win over Uzbekistan before defeating Indonesia 17-1, produced another clinical attacking display.

The constant shouts of Thailand coach Young Wook Bae did little to change play as India dominated possession and kept the ball in the Thailand half for almost the entire match.

India wasted little time in asserting their authority, earning the first of their 23 penalty corners in the second minute. Deepika made no mistake, finding the target to put India 1-0 ahead. Navneet doubled the lead in the fourth minute with a powerful hit that went through the legs of Thailand goalkeeper Watsana Saetan.

Deepika was back on the scoresheet in the eighth minute, converting another penalty corner with a well-placed effort to the left of the goalkeeper.

A minute later, she completed her hat-trick, opting for a powerful hit instead of her trademark drag-flick to make it 4-0.

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India continued to pile on the pressure. Rutuja opened her account in the 10th minute with a superb first-touch deflection off a precise centre by Navneet.

She then added another a minute later, winning the ball amid a scramble inside the circle before creating enough space to unleash a tomahawk that beat the goalkeeper.

India earned two more penalty corners before the end of the opening quarter but could not add to their tally. They went into the first break with a comfortable 6-0 advantage.

The relentless pressure resumed in the second quarter. Neha got her name on the scoresheet in the 19th minute, finishing a reverse hit into the corner after another well-timed assist from Navneet.

Deepika then added her fourth goal in the 24th minute, once again opting for a direct hit from a penalty corner and beating the goalkeeper with sheer power.

Lalremsiami made it 9-0 with another field goal before Navneet converted a penalty stroke in the 29th minute after Baljeet Kaur was checked at a goal-scoring position.

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India added another before half-time when Navneet’s direct attempt from a penalty corner was blocked, but Sakshi reacted quickly to put away the rebound and send India into the interval 11-0 ahead.

The third quarter began much like the first two, with India dominating possession and territory. Deepika initially found the top-left corner from a penalty corner in the 33rd minute, but after discussions between the umpires, the penalty corner was re-awarded. The result was the same, with Deepika this time opting for a grounded flick to make it 12-0.

Navneet came close moments later before calmly finishing a flowing move in the 35th minute, lifting the ball into an empty net after the goalkeeper had been beaten. Deepika then struck again from a penalty corner in the 36th minute, unleashing a powerful drag-flick that gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Thailand struggled to build any sustained attacking momentum, with their midfield unable to contain India’s movement and allowing the Indian forwards repeated opportunities to penetrate the circle.

India continued to create chances, although a couple of penalty corners went unconverted, except the one in the 39th minute that Deepika slotted in.

In the 45th minute, Salima Tete added her name to the scoresheet. Sushila’s hit into the circle found Navneet, who laid it off perfectly for the unmarked India captain to tap the ball into an open goal, making it 16-0 at the end of the third quarter.

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Rutuja completed her hat-trick early in the final quarter, tapping the ball into the net in the 47th minute. Deepika came close to adding another from a penalty corner soon after, only for the Thailand goalkeeper to produce a fine save.

There was little respite for Thailand, however, as Deepika found the net again in the 51st minute to register her eighth goal of the match. Navneet followed almost immediately with her fourth goal of the evening, taking India’s tally to 19.

Thailand finally found a breakthrough in the 57th minute when Supansa Samanso converted their only penalty corner of the match, giving the sparse crowd a chance to applaud the Thailand team.

India responded by returning to the attack and earned another penalty corner a few seconds later. Deepika made no mistake, scoring her ninth goal of the match to complete an extraordinary individual performance and seal India’s biggest win of this edition so far, 20-1.

India will next face Japan on September 25.

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