# Salima Tete to lead India as Savita Punia rested for Women’s Asian Champions Trophy _India will defend its title in Bhopal with Salima Tete as captain and Bansari Solanki replacing veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia._ - Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in) - Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/salima-tete-to-lead-india-as-savita-punia-rested-for-women-s-asian-champions - Author: Rohit, Sports writer (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/rohit) - Published: 2026-11-10T09:08:12.146Z - Section: Hockey - Topics: India women's hockey, Salima Tete, Savita Punia, Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, Bhopal 2026, Sjoerd Marijne ## Summary Hockey India has named a 20-member squad for the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Bhopal. Salima Tete continues as captain while Savita Punia is rested. ## Key takeaways - Salima Tete will captain India at the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Bhopal. - Savita Punia has been rested, with Bansari Solanki named as her replacement. - India will play its first international tournament after winning Asian Games gold. - India enters the six-team event as defending champion and three-time winner. ## Article Hockey India announced the Indian women’s hockey squad for the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Bhopal 2026 on Tuesday, with Salima Tete continuing as captain and veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia rested. Bansari Solanki replaces Punia in the squad. The tournament will be held from November 19 to 28 at the newly built International Sports Complex in Nathu Barkheda, Bhopal. India will begin its campaign against Malaysia on the opening day after the opening ceremony. ## What we know The tournament is scheduled to be held from November 19 to 28 at the newly built International Sports Complex, Nathu Barkheda, Bhopal, Sportstar reported. India will enter as the defending champion. Midfielder Salima Tete will continue to lead the team, which is playing its first international tournament after the historic gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan last month. The six-team competition will feature India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea. Like India, South Korea too has won the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy three times. > This is the moment I want to give other players the chance to showcase their talent on the international stage. > — Sjoerd Marijne The 25-year-old Bansari has been part of the squad that won the Asia Cup last year. Bichu Devi Kharibam retained her place as the other custodian in the squad. As part of the role shuffling, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, who played as a forward in the Asian Games, has been named in the midfield for the ACT. Similarly, midfielder Nikki Pradhan is part of the defensive line-up, while Ishika Chaudhary has been moved from defence to midfield. ### India’s Women’s Asian Champions Trophy titles | Year | Result | | --- | --- | | 2016 | Champion | | 2023 | Champion | | 2024 | Champion | ## Why it matters India will host the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy for the third consecutive time, according to background on the 2026 edition. The hosts enter the tournament as defending champions and three-time winners, having secured the title in 2016, 2023 and 2024, OMMCOM News reported. India will be aiming to continue their impressive run and complete a hat-trick of titles while building on the confidence gained from their Asian Games success. ## What happens next The ACT will follow a round-robin format, with each team playing the other five once. The top four teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the semifinals. India will face South Korea on November 21, Thailand on November 22, China on November 24 and Japan on November 25. The semifinals will be played on November 27, and the medal matches on November 28. The opening day will see Asia’s top-ranked team China take on Thailand in the tournament opener before the India-Malaysia clash following an opening ceremony. > We are excited to play in front of the home crowd and finish the year well. > — Sjoerd Marijne The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Bhopal 2026 is an important opportunity for our team to carry forward the momentum of their historic Asian Games triumph, said Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey. Playing in front of home supporters will be a great motivation, and he is confident the players will put up a strong performance and make the country proud. ### Related on Apex Sports News - [Harmanpreet leads India to record sixth Asian Champions Trophy title](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/harmanpreet-leads-india-to-record-sixth-asian-champions-trophy-title) - [Sanjay to lead India hockey team on New Zealand tour](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/sanjay-to-lead-india-hockey-team-on-new-zealand-tour) - [Odisha High Court stays Hockey India elections](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/odisha-high-court-stays-hockey-india-elections) ### Sources - [Sportstar](https://sportstar.thehindu.com/hockey/india-womens-squad-asian-champions-trophy-savita-punia-rested/article71685506.ece) - [thestatesman.com](https://www.thestatesman.com/world/salima-tete-to-lead-india-as-savita-punia-rested-for-womens-asian-champions-trophy-1503660807.html) - [Photo: Mauricio V. Genta, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Women%27s_Hockey5s_Medallist_Ceremony_YOG18_14-10-2018_(038)_(cropped).jpg) --- Source: Apex Sports News, https://apexsportsnews.in/news/salima-tete-to-lead-india-as-savita-punia-rested-for-women-s-asian-champions. Please cite and link the original article when quoting.