India will face arch-rivals Pakistan in a crucial FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 Pool D encounter on Wednesday, with the match carrying significant importance for both teams' qualification hopes. For viewers in India, the contest will be telecast live on Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports Select 2 HD and Star Sports Hindi, while live streaming will be available on the JioStar app and website. Current tournament coverage also lists Star Sports and JioHotstar among the viewing options for Indian audiences.
India enter the contest with a recent advantage over Pakistan, having remained unbeaten against them across tournaments over the past 10 years. The match is scheduled for August 19 at 6.30 PM IST at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.
Where to watch India vs Pakistan in India
Indian viewers can watch the men's Hockey World Cup clash live on Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports Select 2 HD and Star Sports Hindi. The match will also be streamed live through the JioStar app and website.
The fixture has generated significant interest ahead of the Pool D contest, with the match at the Wagener Stadium reported as a sell-out.
India vs Pakistan qualification scenario
India currently sit second in Pool D with three points. They began their campaign with a 3-1 victory against Wales before losing 2-4 to England.
Pakistan have one point from two games after drawing with Wales and suffering a 1-4 defeat to England.
Under the tournament format, the top two teams from each of the four pools in the opening stage remain in contention for the semi-finals, while the bottom two move into classification matches.
England have already won both of their matches and secured a top-two position in the pool. That leaves the second qualifying place to be decided through the remaining India vs Pakistan and England vs Wales fixtures.
India need at least a draw against Pakistan to secure second place. Pakistan and Wales, meanwhile, must win to keep their campaigns alive.
India vs Pakistan head-to-head record
Pakistan hold the overall advantage in men's hockey meetings between the two teams, with 82 victories compared with India's 69. Another 32 matches have ended in draws.
At the World Cup, however, India lead Pakistan 3-2. Their most recent World Cup meeting was in 2010.
Despite needing only a draw, India cannot afford to rely on their previous record and will have to produce a strong performance in the high-stakes encounter. Pakistan, on the other hand, require all three points to remain in contention for the next stage.
India vs Pakistan Hockey World Cup 2026 squads
India: Harmanpreet Singh (captain), Mohith HS, Suraj Karkera, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach, Rajinder Singh, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek.
Pakistan: Waqar, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Moeen Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Arshad Liaquat, Adeel Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Imad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hammaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul, Afraz, Omar Mustafa, Abu Bakr Mahmood, Ali Raza, Abdul Matan, Muhammad Imad.
