At the ongoing Hockey India League (HIL) in Bhubaneswar, Craig Fulton has marked his favourite spot at the Kalinga Stadium. He's present for every game on the rooftop of the West Stand, trying to enjoy watching some of the best hockey players on the pitch, but his main purpose now is to have a good look at, and analyse how the Indian players are performing. After all, the head coach of the men's hockey team has a big task for a big year -- picking the right personnel for some major upcoming tournaments, which include the World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, and then the Asian Games in Japan.
Youngsters in fray for upcoming Pro League games
After the completion of the HIL, the national team will assemble in Rourkela for the start of the FIH Pro League next month, where they will play four matches before flying out to Hobart, Australia for another set of four matches.
In a conversation with journalists on the sidelines of the HIL, Fulton said he will be using the upcoming games to give chances to youngsters and might rest senior players. "I think now we have an opportunity to give some (chances to the) younger guys because we still have to choose our World Cup and Asian Games squads. Now's the time to rest some of the more senior guys. Play some of the younger guys in Rourkela, and then we have four games in Hobart."
India will face Belgium and Argentina in Rourkela before playing host Australia and Spain in Hobart. In what appears a well thought out plan, the team will then go into a camp where there will be intense preparations for the big two tournaments, with India's Pro League commitments for the season set to conclude in Netherlands and London in June as well. It is expected that the majority of the players playing the matches in Europe will feature in the World Cup and Asian Games.
"We're going with a solid core in both tournaments (World Cup and Asian Games) and maybe a few changes on each. Not two teams. We feel the World Cup is a huge milestone and we also know what the Asian Games is worth when we win it, we qualify for LA 2028," Fulton said.
In terms of pure numbers, no Indian player has been a standout in this season's HIL, but Fulton did name check a few youngsters who could be in the reckoning for the upcoming big tournaments.
The head coach was impressed by the likes of Araijeet Singh Hundal, Arshdeep Singh, Ravichandra Singh Moirangthem, Anmol Ekka and Amandeep Lakra. These players aren't yet part of the national team's core group, but there's an opportunity for them to make their cases in the upcoming games.
Who could be out?
After India's Asia Cup triumph in Rajgir last year, there were talks about the team moving away from a few senior players. The likes of Mandeep Singh, Krishan Pathak, Dilpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh have plenty of experience at the international stage but didn't have the best 2025, and while they've all had decent outings at this season's HIL, it remains to be seen if they have done enough to retain their places in the team.
Of the seniors, the curious case has been of Manpreet Singh, with reports and rumours surrounding his place in the team. Despite his age, there has been barely any drop in Manpreet's levels -- consistently, the midfielder has been a standout player for the national team over the past few years. He has maintained the same form with the Ranchi Royals, helping them finish second in the league stage. But after the Qualifier 1 game against Kalinga Lancers, which the Royals lost, Manpreet dropped a hint regarding his hockey career with the same team.
"I have lots of love for Ranchi. I had started playing for them when HIL began and my hockey might end with them," he said in the mixed zone.
It's not clear what he meant by the statement, whether it would be this year or later, but speaking to ESPN only a few months ago, Manpreet was clear about his plans to play the World Cup. Besides, even Fulton was all praise for Manpreet for his exceptional fitness standards.
"Sometimes, with older players, they get better with age. Look at Tom Boon, (Arthur) van Doren, Vincent Vanasch. There are a lot of good examples around. You know, they do dip," said Fulton. "They can't stay at that level all the time. But they know how to manage themselves, manage their lives, manage their bodies, manage their fitness. That's the key. And I think he's moving well and he's moving well now as he's ever had. So that's not an issue. We'll see. We'll see how we go."
In a big hockey year like 2026, a player of Manpreet's calibre will certainly help the national team but it's not crystal clear whether the midfielder, who has played over 400 international games, remains in Fulton's plan for the future.