India signed off their men's hockey pool campaign at the Asian Games 2026 in emphatic fashion, thrashing Bangladesh 10-0 in their final Pool A match on Monday.
Already assured of a place in the semifinals before the game, India maintained their perfect record by securing their fifth consecutive win of the competition. The victory also saw the defending champions finish at the top of Pool A.
India will now face Pakistan in the first semifinal on October 1, while Malaysia will take on South Korea in the other last-four clash.
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Abhishek Leads India's Goal Rush
India were relentless from the opening whistle and eventually scored 10 goals against Bangladesh.
Abhishek opened the scoring before Jugraj Singh doubled India's advantage in the 22nd minute. Captain Harmanpreet Singh then converted in the 27th minute as India took a commanding lead.
Harmanpreet added two more goals in the third quarter, scoring in the 40th and 45th minutes to complete his hat-trick.
Sukhjeet Singh also found the net in the 32nd minute, while Lakra Shilanand scored twice in the 44th and 45th minutes.
India continued their attacking dominance in the final quarter, with Sanjay scoring in the 59th minute before Mandeep Singh completed the 10-0 rout with India's final goal in the 60th minute.
India Finish Pool A With Perfect Record
The victory ensured India finished the Pool A stage with five wins from five matches.
The Indian team had already secured qualification for the semifinals before Monday's encounter and used their final pool game to maintain their momentum heading into the knockout stages.
India's dominant run has seen them score heavily throughout the pool phase, underlining their attacking strength ahead of the semifinals.
The focus will now shift to the much-anticipated clash against Pakistan on October 1.
India vs Pakistan In Semifinal
India's reward for topping Pool A is a semifinal against Pakistan, setting up another high-profile encounter between the two Asian hockey rivals.
In the other semifinal, Malaysia will face South Korea on October 1.
With a place in the final at stake, India will look to carry their unbeaten run into the knockout stage after completing the pool phase with another convincing victory.
The Indian men's hockey team will now have to produce another strong performance against Pakistan to keep their hopes of defending their Asian Games title alive.