Midfielder Raj Kumar Pal has suffered a thumb injury and was replaced by Nilakanta Sharma in the Indian men’s hockey team ahead of its Asian Games 2026 semifinal against Pakistan.
Indian coach Craig Fulton confirmed the replacement in a video shared by Hockey India on social media.
“It’s unfortunate for Raj. At the same time, we have great experience coming in. Nilakanta has been to two Olympics, World Cups, so it’s a nice addition at an important time,” Fulton said.
Raj Kumar sustained the injury in the team’s last pool match against Bangladesh.
India entered the last-four stage after a spotless group-stage campaign, topping Pool A with five wins from as many games. Meanwhile, Pakistan entered the semifinals by virtue of finishing second in Pool B.
The Harmanpreet Singh-led side will be looking to enter the summit clash once again in the Asiad and defend its gold medal.
Published on Sep 30, 2026
