Farmer’s Son Arshdeep Singh Shines in HIL, Earns Indian Team Call-Up

During the Hockey India League (HIL) in Rourkela, India men’s team head coach Craig Fulton confirmed that he was closely evaluating the tournament as a selection ground for the upcoming FIH Pro League in mid-February. On Thursday, his approach became evident when a 32-member squad was announced for the eight matches in Bhubaneswar, featuring one of the league’s standout young players—Hyderabad Toofans’ Arshdeep Singh.

The 20-year-old forward from Lehark, near Amritsar, Punjab, impressed with his three goals in the league phase and a well-rounded gameplay that played a key role in Toofans’ semifinal run. Arshdeep first made his mark on the international stage at the Junior Men’s Asia Cup in Oman last year, where he netted six goals.

Hailing from a farming family, he was inspired by his elder brother to take up hockey and later joined Roundglass Punjab, where his performances in national tournaments earned recognition.

Toofans’ team director, Siddharth Pandey—a Level 3 FIH-certified coach—had identified Arshdeep’s potential in domestic competitions and secured him at the auction for ₹11.5 lakh.

“His game intelligence is remarkable for someone so young. I really admire the work being done at Roundglass Punjab, where Gurjot Singh has already broken into the senior squad. While Gurjot is talented, I believe Arshdeep has the potential for a long and successful international career. His call-up is well deserved,” Pandey remarked.

Arshdeep, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Lyallpur Khalsa College in Jalandhar, shared that the first thing he did after receiving the news was call his family.

“They stood by me when I felt like giving up a few years ago after missing out on a national camp selection. That was a difficult time, but my parents and brother encouraged me to keep going,” Arshdeep told The Indian Express. “The HIL provided the platform to showcase my skills, and without this exposure, earning recognition would have been much tougher. At Toofans, I’ve learned a lot from Jacob Anderson (Australia), who has personally helped me refine my shooting skills.”

Pandey highlighted Arshdeep’s ability to win penalty corners and his knack for finding spaces in the attacking zone. “Just watch the match against the Lancers—he was up against legends like Arthur van Doren and Alexander Hendrickx, yet he played fearlessly, running circles around them. ‘Ghuma daala unko,’ as we say locally,” he added.

Arshdeep joins the senior squad alongside 22-year-old Angad Bir Singh from Vedanta Kalinga Lancers as one of the notable new faces. Meanwhile, Yashdeep Siwach, son of former India captain Pritam Rani Siwach, makes a return