Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: 5 Indian players to watch out for

Amit Rohidas does not hesitate to put his body in the line

#4 Akashdeep Singh

Indian striker Ramandeep Singh has been emphatic that the Indian forward line resembles a well-oiled machine when he combines with Sunil, Akashdeep, and Mandeep - alas, injuries to Ramandeep and Sunil mean that two vital cogs in the wheel will not be able to drive Harendra's side ahead at Bhubaneswar.

As such, it is absolutely imperative that Akashdeep Singh shoulders the responsibility of organizing the men up front if the Indians are to make an impact at the World Cup. Young Dilpreet has made no secret of the fact that Akashdeep is the one who inspired and guided him all through.

The incredibly talented striker seemed rather off-color at Gold Coast and failed to come into his own throughout the Commonwealth Games. Akashdeep was picked for the Champions Trophy but failed to make it to Breda following a last-minute injury

In the pool matches of the Asian Games, he enthralled spectators with his stunning tomahawks from near-impossible angles driven in with an air of apparent arrogance.

Splitting open the best defenses in the world requires a lot more than brilliant individual skill, and cohesion among the strikers will need to be at it's absolute best at Bhubaneswar.

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About the author

Subhashish has been an Indian sports journalist at Sportskeeda since 2017. He primarily covers hockey along with other Indian Sports, and endeavors to bridge the coverage gap between the multitude of Indian sports and cricket via his articles. Subhashish’s interest in Indian sports peaked after watching a few hockey and football matches live during his childhood days, and has also played Hockey, Football, Table Tennis, Badminton at school and college level.

As a journalist, he covered every single Indian hockey match at the 2018 & 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2018 & 2023 Asian Games, 2018 Women's World Cup, 2018 & 2023 Men’s World Cup and the 2021 Olympics. An interview specialist, he has conducted over 100 interviews with the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey team, and has also been part of the UK-based DesiSportsCast Podcast.

Subhashish’s favorite Indian athlete is Vandana Katariya for her relentlessness and never-say-die attitude. For him, India men's hockey team's 7-1 win over Pakistan in 2017 Hockey World League semis on the same day as India men's cricket team's loss to the same opponent in the Champions Trophy final is an iconic moment in Indian Sports history.

When not writing, he likes to spend his free time blogging, singing, jogging, and trekking.

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Edited by Rajdeep Puri