Led by forward Navneet Kaur, the Indian women’s hockey team will begin a four-match tour of Argentina from April 13 to 17, using the high-intensity assignment as key preparation for a packed international calendar that includes the FIH Nations Cup, the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, and the Asian Games later this year.
The matches will be played at the Club Ciudad de Buenos Aires, where India will face the hosts across four fixtures scheduled on April 13, 14, 16 and 17 at 11 am local time (7.30 pm IST).
The tour comes on the back of India’s strong showing at the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 in Hyderabad, where they finished runners-up and secured valuable momentum heading into the new cycle. The team had also undergone an intensive preparatory camp in Bengaluru before departing for South America on Thursday evening.
In the absence of regular captain Salima Tete, experienced forward Navneet Kaur will lead the side. Her recent form has been recognised with the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year, underlining her growing influence in the national set-up.
One of the biggest boosts for India will be the return of veteran goalkeeper Savita, who is expected to share duties with Bichu Devi Kharibam, who impressed during the Hyderabad qualifiers. The duo is likely to be central to India’s defensive plans against a strong Argentine attack.
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At the back, India will rely on the experience of Nikki Pradhan, who recently completed her 200th international appearance, alongside Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam. They will be supported by a developing defensive unit featuring Ishika Chaudhary, Manisha Chauhan, Jyoti and Udita, while Lalthantluangi is set to get an opportunity to stake her claim at the senior level.
The midfield is expected to undergo significant rotation, with Neha taking charge of a relatively young unit in Salima Tete’s absence. She will be supported by Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke and Sunelita Toppo, both of whom have shown promise in recent outings. Players such as Sakshi Rana, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Ishika and Deepika Soreng are also expected to get valuable game time as the coaching staff experiments with combinations.
In attack, Navneet Kaur will partner Lalremsiami at the forefront, while Baljeet Kaur, Deepika and Beauty Dungdung provide additional options in the forward line. The return of Mumtaz Khan further strengthens India’s attacking depth, with Annu also in contention for minutes.
Chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said the tour would be used to test combinations and assess individual performances against top-quality opposition. “We are here with 23 players, who will all get the opportunity to showcase themselves. We will use this tour as an opportunity to play with different team combinations and find ways to win. The big goal for me here is to see the individual and team performances against the number two-ranked side in the world,” he said.
India will be aiming to translate their recent momentum into results as they face a strong Argentina side across four matches, with the tour expected to offer crucial insights ahead of major global tournaments later this year.
