The Indian women's hockey team begin their 2026 FIH Women's World Cup campaign against China, and you can follow it on ESPN, right here.
India will be featuring in their ninth women's Hockey World Cup, after the ignominy of missing out on the Paris Olympics. That low was preceded by the high of a fourth-placed finish at the Tokyo Olympics, and India have once more turned to the man who led them there - Sjoerd Marijne.
The Dutchman has his task cut out as India are in a tough Pool D alongside higher-ranked China and England, as well as South Africa - with only the top two teams progressing into the second round.
The opener against China will reveal where India are on the elite stage - their opponents are the best team in Asia and are ranked second in the world. India ought to get the better of South Africa, but it is their third match against England (ranked seventh, to India's ninth) that could decide their fate.
Marijne though, isn't looking that far ahead, saying "I am really looking at it match by match. So, the focus is on China and winning that match. From there, we move forward. First objective is to finish in top two in our pool and reach the second stage."
Marijne has continued with a squad boasting two extremes - experience and youth. India are the only country with five players over 200 or more international caps - the likes of Savita Punia, Neha, Nikki Pradhan, Lalremsiami and Navneet Kaur are playing in their third World Cup.
Captain Salima Tete, however, will have to steer the World Cup debutants - including impressive 18-year-old midfielder Sakshi Rana, India's emerging dragflicker Deepika Sehrawat (who was top-scorer in the FIH Nations Cup that India won recently), as well as 19-year-old Sunelita Toppo, who has been making waves with her performances.
Marijne is counting on his experienced personnel when the going gets tough, saying "You are always searching for the right balance of experienced players and junior. The seniors, of course, can help the juniors on how it is to play in a World Cup and also take responsibility when the pressure is on."
The going ought to get plenty tough against China, as India experienced in the 2025 Women's Asia Cup, when Harendra Singh's side were soundly beaten 1-4 in the final, having also lost by the same scoreline to their opponents in the tournament.
You can follow all the action in our live blog, below: