The 33-year-old Manpreet Singh is not in the list of 33 probables for the home leg of the new season of FIH Pro League. Goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak too has been dropped.
Manpreet Singh’s next match in India jersey would have seen him equal the record of Dilip Tirkey’s 412 matches, the most appearances for the country in international hockey. However, the veteran midfielder has been shockingly left out of the list of probables announced by Hockey India for the upcoming season of the FIH Pro League.
The 33-year-old Manpreet, one of the most recognisable faces of Indian hockey, has represented India 411 times and stands just a match short of the current Hockey India president Tirkey’s national record. He is the only big name who has been left out of the squad that will assemble to prepare for the league from February 1 in Rourkela.
Apart from the former India captain, goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak has also been excluded.
Coach says some senior players rested
Indian men’s hockey team head coach Craig Fulton said that he wanted to take a look at some young players and that led to some seniors getting rested. However, Manpreet is the only senior outfield player who is not part of the camp.
Speaking ahead of the camp, Fulton said: “Post the Hero Hockey India League, we felt this was the right time to rotate the squad. We’ve rested a few senior players to manage workload, while rewarding performances from players who’ve earned their opportunity. The Pro League legs in Rourkela and Hobart are an important part of the selection process as we move towards finalising the World Cup and Asian Games squad.”
India kick off their campaign on February 11 in Rourkela against Belgium before taking on Argentina the following day. After return fixtures against the same sides on February 14 and 15, the team will travel to Hobart to play Australia and Spain.
33-member list of India probables for FIH Pro League home leg
Goalkeepers: Pawan, Suraj Karkera, M.H. Shashikumar, Princedeep Singh
Defenders: Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sumit, P.C. Boby, Yashdeep Siwach, Nilam Sandeep Xess, Amandeep Lakra
Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Hardik Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Vishnu Kant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Rosan Kujur
Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh, Uttam Singh, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Maninder Singh
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