Hockey Asia Cup 2025: Why Jarmanpreet Singh’s attacking role is crucial for India’s title ambitions

In the fourth minute of India’s virtual Asia Cup 2025 semifinal against China, India coach Craig Fulton brought on right-back Jarmanpreet Singh in place of Jugraj Singh. Barely 30 seconds later, Harmanpreet Singh launched a long, aerial pass across the field, finding Jarmanpreet perfectly on the right flank just inside the Chinese D. Jarmanpreet skillfully controlled the ball with a single touch and quickly squared it toward the goal, where Shilanand Lakra was waiting to tap it in.

And just like that, India broke the deadlock in its 7-0 drubbing of China.

Jarmanpreet, the defender from Punjab, has been part of the Indian set-up since making his debut in 2018. With time, he has developed into a dynamic modern full-back, the only one in the squad. His game is built on relentless overlapping runs down the right flank.

“For us, the right side is stronger attacking-wise, and my role is to join the attack,” the 29-year-old explained to  Sportstar after the match. “My role is to join the attack whenever we have the ball, but defensively, we have to adjust to that situation.”

Despite the team’s seven goals, the Amritsar-born defender was more excited about the clean sheet — India’s second of the tournament after the 15-0 win over minnow Kazakhstan.

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“A clean sheet before the final gives us a huge confidence booster,” he said. “If we can defend well, we can win against anyone.”

India opened its campaign against the same opponent and conceded three goals, all from penalty corners; two of those short corners were conceded in counterattacks.

“We analysed that we need to close the channels on both flanks to make our defence stronger against counters, and today we executed that.”

Jarmanpreet is an excellent ball carrier who likes to drive forward from the deep and possesses a good technical level with a great understanding of when to make an offensive run. He is a vital creative force for his team, often providing the final ball through dangerous crosses and cut-backs into the D.

While his attacking contributions are world-class, his defensive game has been an area of scrutiny, particularly his one-on-one defending and defensive positioning.

“It is balance that I had to bring to my game. Defence is the most important aspect of my game; I’m a defender first,” he said. “Our communication has become better, so if I’m up the pitch, someone from midfield will drop and cover. It is a team game after all.”

In the tournament, India has faced opponents using a low block defence, which has made it difficult for the team to find its rhythm early on. The team, which prefers to play on the counter-attack, struggled to break down these compact defences.

However, Fulton’s men have found a new way to bypass the press and midfield with a new attacking strategy.

Harmanpreet’s precise aerial passes to players making runs to the baseline have opened up a new attacking dimension for the team. In this new attacking format, Jarmanpreet becomes one of India’s most crucial forward players.

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Attacking from the baseline provides several advantages. First, the attacker gets a complete view of the D, helping them spot teammates’ positions. As Jarmanpreet explained, “I can either pass the ball square, cut back, or find a foot. Entering from the baseline helps us open up with multiple options.”

He added that these baseline attacks are a key part of India’s strategy, especially in the “nine-yard zone” between the penalty spot and the goal.

“It’s one of the set-ups we have been working on. When we enter the nine yards from the baseline, it gives us more open chances to score a goal,” Jarmanpreet said. “And if we don’t get a clear shot, then we try to earn a penalty corner.”

On Sunday, India will face defending champion South Korea with a World Cup spot on the line. Korea is the only team in the tournament which was been able to deny Fulton’s men a win. In that game, Jarmanpreet was denied by the Korean custodian, who staved off a last-second winner.

As it faces the gruelling challenge of its third consecutive game in three days, Fulton wants his team “to play the game, not the occasion”. He’s focusing on the fundamentals, urging his players to “defend first, have a really good work rate, and then play from there.”

In a game often mesmerised by the lightning-fast drag-flicks and the dazzling artistry of the forwards, players like Jarmanpreet can easily be overlooked. Yet, his tireless work, in both defence and attack, has slipped under the radar in India’s recent triumphs.

Now, with the team seeking redemption after a disappointing Pro League run, the stage is set for Jarmanpreet to change the narrative. The opportunity is ripe for him to silence the critics and deliver another masterclass performance in Rajgir, proving that true impact is often made away from the spotlight.

Published on Sep 07, 2025