4 Odisha players in Indian team for Azlan Shah Cup

Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Three players from Odisha- Dipsan Tirkey, Amit Rohidas, Nilam Sanjeep Xess and Shilanand Lakra - have been selected in the national team for the upcoming 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup which will begin in Malaysia on March 3.

However, omission of ace player Birendra Lakra from the team has surprised many. Lakra was selected as the only player from Odisha to take part in the 2018 Four Nations Invitational Tournament in New Zealand earlier last month.

While Sardar Singh is once again set to lead the Men in Blue, skipper Manpreet Singh has been rested for the tournament. Forward Ramandeep Singh will be shouldering the responsibility of Vice Captain, the Hockey India announced today.

Top-ranked Australia, World No 2 Argentina, England, India, Ireland and hosts Malaysia are all set to lock horns for the week long tournament that ends on March 10.

India then travel to Australia to take part in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games starting from April 4 before readying up for the World Cup scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 16, 2018 in Bhubaneswar.

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2018 is the first international hockey tournament this year in which Odisha will be the major team partner for Hockey India. Odisha will be sponsoring the national teams after it signed a deal worth Rs 150 crore for five years.

Team:

Goalkeepers

Suraj Karkera

Krishan B Pathak

Defenders

Amit Rohidas

Dipsan Tirkey

Nilam Sanjeep Xess

Surender Kumar

Varun Kumar

Mandeep Mor

Midfielders

Nilakanta Sharma

Sardar Singh (Captain)

SK Uthappa

Sumit

Simranjeet Singh

Forwards

Ramandeep Singh (Vice-captain)

Sumit Kumar (Junior)

Shilanand Lakra

Gurjant Singh

Talwinder Singh