Harjeet Singh, Midfielder
Jersey No: 21
The captain and the beating heart of the team, he is on way to becoming the next Sardar Singh with his game, intelligence and ball distribution. He proved the comparisons were not off the mark with his consistently good form throughout the tournament and his ability to stay, and keep the team calm under pressure.
Dipsan Tirkey, Defender
Jersey No: 12
From the land of Dilip Tirkey, Dipsan has a reputation to protect and a legacy to live up to and he did both to the T. His presence at the back meant the opposition always had to supply an extra player to try and score, which only helped the Indian forwards.
Harmanpreet Singh, Defender
Jersey No: 1
An Olympian, winner of FIH’s Rising Star of the Year Award at the Champions Trophy and 24 international caps, Harmanpreet had the skills and experience to make a difference. He was expected to wreak havoc with his lethal drag-flicks but that didn’t happen. But he made his mark as a defender with pinpoint diagonal passes and creator of chances par excellence.
Varun Kumar, Defender
Jersey No: 7
Varun impressed everyone in 2012, disappeared the next two years due to injury and then worked his way back through domestic tournaments and the HIL. The newly-converted drag-flicker was in his element and along with Harmanpreet, handled the right-back-left-back roles with elan.
Mandeep Singh, Forward
Jersey No: 11
This one loves the spotlight. And he remained there, scoring some delectable goals that reinforced his growing reputation as a poacher.
Armaan Qureshi, Forward
Jersey No: 10
He was considered by the coach as his trump card for the tournament. Qureshi’s lightning quick running down the right and passing ahead makes him a successor to Gurbaj Singh while his ability to force his way into the circle with the ball and score goals gives him an added edge. Visibly under pressure early on, the last two games saw Qureshi finally coming into his own with some impeccable passes and dodges and the familiar flair of having fun.
Manpreet Singh, Midfielder
Jersey No: 14
Like his namesake in the senior side, Manpreet plays a linkman. Unlike the senior, however, he isn’t flamboyant or flashy and stays on the wings. His running down the left often meant the opposition was left to play catch up.
Krishan Pathak, Goalkeeper
Jersey No: 9
Pathak got little chance to show off his skills except against England, where India had sealed the matter early on. He was nervous but traces of his talent were visible in his diving around.
Vikas Dahiya, Goalkeeper
Jersey No: 19
The main goalkeeper of the side, Dahiya was tested little except in the semifinals. Egged on by his idol P. R. Sreejesh, Dahiya proved there was a reason why he is rated highly by the coaches and picked as backup for Rio, pulling off two saves in the shootout and almost a third before going soft because of inexperience.
Nilakanta Sharma, Midfielder
Jersey No: 27
The Manipuri lad was supposed to be one of the picks of the tournament but was erratic, brilliant in creating chances but fumbling when he had to convert them. Remained the backroom worker, shunning spotlight.
Gurjant Singh, Forward
Jersey No: 15
Two crucial goals in the semis and the final brought this Amritsar boy into the limelight but he had made his mark even before with his passing and one-touch shots at goal without bothering with complicated dribbling showboating.
Simranjeet Singh, Midfielder
Jersey No: 8
Unlike several of his team-mates, Simranjeet believes academics is important and balances an exacting schedule. He shouldered the midfield role every time Harjeet was either absent or pulled back but when the captain was on, he stepped up to score goals at crucial moments.
Parvinder Singh, Forward
Jersey No: 13
Parvinder’s swagger on and off the field makes him stand out. That doesn’t mean he is all show, passing and scoring with amazing regularity. Needs to polish his positioning in the D but that will come with experience.
Santa Singh, Midfielder
Jersey No: 17
The Namdhari Academy trainee is one of those workhorses who concentrate on their job and not the camera flashes. Quick on the turn and adept at one-touch passing, Santa was crucial in setting up many of the goals.
Ajit Pandey, Forward
Jersey No: 32
Homeboy Pandey spent three years at the Sports Authority of India Hostel in Lucknow but on the biggest stage on his home ground, he was overshadowed by the rest despite some impressive runs at the front.
Vikramjit Singh, Defender
Jersey No. 8
On paper a defender, Vikramjit was more often seen upfront, but then so was everyone else in this Indian side. At times he even took shots at the goal before back-pedalling to his usual position.
Sumit Kumar, Forward
Jersey No: 16
Again, a forward only on paper. He was part of the midfield chain that attacked, defended and everything in between.
Gurinder Singh, Defender
Jersey No: 23
One of the 12 players from the Surjeet Hockey Academy in the side, Gurinder kept moving up and down to shore the defence and feed the attack.
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