Fulton Promises a New-Look India for the Pro League After the ACT
Craig Fulton isn’t waiting around after the Asian Champions Trophy. India’s coach has said a new squad will be picked for the Pro League, and the rebuild starts almost immediately.
“We will select a new squad for the Pro League in January (February),” Fulton said, pointing to the home leg in February against Germany, Argentina, Great Britain and Spain. “We will name a new squad, which will play in the Pro League, and then start the 2027-28 cycle with that squad.” It’s a clear statement of intent: the ACT is the end of one phase, not just another tournament win to enjoy.
Before any of that, there’s a trip to New Zealand. India play three matches in Auckland on 19, 21 and 22 November, part of the centenary celebrations marking 100 years since India’s first hockey tour to the country in 1926. The squad for that tour hasn’t been finalised yet, and Fulton said it will be announced in the coming days. After New Zealand, he said, the coaches will assess their options and pick a new core group.
This isn’t new behaviour from Fulton, and he made that point himself. India have played this tournament three times under him and never with the same team twice. The Chennai side in 2023 was different from Hulunbuir in 2024, and nine players have changed since that previous team. Change, for this coach, is the normal state of things.
The context matters. India finished a disappointing eighth at the World Cup this year, then bounced straight back by retaining their Asian Games title and booking direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Fulton was honest about where the work still lies: against Asian opposition, India’s scoring and defending are good, but against European sides and higher-ranked teams, they have to keep improving. He pointed to the World Cup, where India didn’t score when they needed to in the big games and conceded some soft goals, and said it’s about mindset and mentality in those games, not singling out any one player.
So the ACT final week is a farewell of sorts too. Whatever happens in Mohali, the team that lines up for the Pro League home leg in February will look different. For our money, that’s the right call. A side that can win 8-0 on a Monday night doesn’t need tearing down, but it does need freshening up if it’s going to beat Europe’s best when it counts.
Related:
https://sportscursor.com/act-monday-final-league-day-india-korea-malaysia-japan-2-november-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/india-4-2-malaysia-harmanpreet-hat-trick-act-1-november-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/mohali-act-knockouts-semis-4-november-final-5-november-2026/
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