India began the London leg of their FIH Pro League European tour with a 4-3 win over Pakistan at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. It was their third outright win of the season and moved them to seventh in the points table.
Abhishek scored in the 22nd minute, Nilakanta Sharma in the 24th, Sukhjeet Singh in the 40th and Rajinder Singh in the 52nd. Pakistan had gone ahead through Ahmad Nadeem in the 8th minute, while Abu Mahmood and Moin Shakeel scored late to keep the match tight.
Men In Blue Recover From Early Jolts
The match started with both teams playing carefully and trading early circle entries. Pakistan struck first when Ahmad Nadeem scored from a penalty corner routine. India replied with pressure, but Ali Raza made key saves, including a stop from Harmanpreet Singh’s dragflick after three straight penalty corners in the first quarter.
India found rhythm in the second quarter. Dilpreet Singh’s shot in the 22nd minute was saved, but Abhishek scored from the rebound for 1-1. Three minutes later, Nilakanta reacted fastest to another rebound and finished through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 2-1. Raza then denied Jugraj Singh and Harmanpreet before halftime.
Late Goals Pockets The Game For India
Pakistan pressed harder in the third quarter and created several circle entries, but India’s backline stayed firm. Amit Rohidas broke up a two-on-one counter led by Nadeem. India then made it 3-1 in the 40th minute when Abhishek set up Sukhjeet Singh for a close finish.
In the final quarter, India blocked back-to-back Pakistan penalty corners in the 51st minute, then won a counter-attack and a penalty corner in the 52nd. Harmanpreet acted as a decoy, letting Rajinder Singh score past substitute goalkeeper Waqar. Pakistan replied through Abu Mahmood in the 53rd minute and Moin Shakeel in the 60th, but India held on.