Mandeep Singh hat-trick leads India's 13-0 rout of Bangladesh in Asian Champions Trophy 2026 opener

India beat Bangladesh 13-0 in the opening match of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Stadium on Tuesday. Mandeep Singh scored a hat-trick and created three goals, while captain Harmanpreet Singh opened the scoring in the second minute. India led four-nil inside the first 15 minutes and six-nil at half time. Nilakanta Sharma also scored, and Jarmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas impressed in defence.

India is the most successful team in Asian Champions Trophy history, having won the trophy five times since the event began in 2011. Pakistan is the next most frequent champion with three titles. The tournament is held annually by the Asian Hockey Federation and features Asia’s six top field hockey teams in a round robin format.

The 2026 edition is the ninth edition of the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy. It is being held from 27 October to 5 November 2026 across two cities in Punjab, India. The match at the Olympian Surjit Singh Stadium marked the city’s first-ever international hockey tournament.

Sportstar reported that Mandeep Singh was among five players who began on that very ground and one of four seniors allegedly in the firing line. His performance appeared to be proving a point to the naysayers. Rumours had suggested the team management was planning on phasing out certain players, but Hockey India secretary general Bholanath Singh and Harmanpreet Singh have outrightly denied those reports as false.

Sportstar noted that Tuesday’s outing had not made the management’s job easier if phasing out players was the plan. The Bridge described the fixture as India’s opening round-robin match of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026.

Related on Apex Sports News

• Harmanpreet Singh: India defence priority ahead of Asian Champions Trophy

• India hockey news: Asian Champions Trophy begins in Jalandhar and Mohali

• Manpreet Singh ruled out of Asian Champions Trophy, Vivek Sagar Prasad named replacement

Sources

• Sportstar

• The Bridge

• Wikipedia: 2026 Men's Asian Champions Trophy (background)

• Wikipedia: Men's Asian Champions Trophy (background)

• Photo: KeithJJ, Pixabay Content License (Pixabay)