Indian Women’s Hockey Team Argentina Tour 2026: Navneet Kaur to Lead India in Four-Match Series

The Indian Women's Hockey Team is set to embark on a four-match tour of Argentina, scheduled to take place at the Club Ciudad de Buenos Aires from April 13 to 17. The tour is expected to provide valuable match exposure as the team prepares for an important stretch of the season, including the FIH Nations Cup, the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, and the Asian Games later this year.

Ahead of the tour, the Indian Women's Team held a training camp in Bengaluru before departing for Argentina on Thursday evening. Having finished as runners-up at the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 in Hyderabad, Telangana, the squad will aim to carry forward that momentum into the upcoming fixtures and the remainder of the season.

Experienced forward

Navneet Kaur will lead the side during the tour in the absence of regular captain Salima Tete. The return of veteran goalkeeper Savita is expected to strengthen the team, while Bichu Devi Kharibam is likely to share goalkeeping responsibilities following her strong performances at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifier in Hyderabad.

In defence, Nikki Pradhan-who recently completed her 200th international cap-will anchor the backline alongside the experienced Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam. Players such as Ishika Chaudhary, Manisha Chauhan, Jyoti, and Udita further add depth and stability to the defensive unit. Meanwhile, Lalthantluangi will also have the opportunity to showcase her abilities after earning a call-up to the senior squad.

With Salima Tete unavailable for this tour, Neha will take charge of guiding a relatively young midfield, supported by Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke and Sunelita Toppo. The likes of Sakshi Rana, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal, Ishika, and Deepika Soreng-who have impressed in recent appearances-will look to make strong impressions and strengthen their positions in the starting lineup.

Navneet Kaur, who recently received the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year in recognition of her consistent performances, will lead the attack alongside Lalremsiami. Baljeet Kaur, Deepika, and Beauty Dungdung will offer additional attacking options, while Mumtaz Khan's return adds further firepower. Annu also remains part of the attacking mix.

Sharing his thoughts ahead of the tour, Indian Women's Hockey Team Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne said, *"We are here with 23 players, who will all get the opportunity to showcase themselves. We will use this tour as an opportunity to play with different team combinations and find ways to win. The big goal for me here is to see the individual and team performances against the number two ranked side in the world. "

India will face Argentina on April 13, 14, 16, and 17, with all matches scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM local time (7:30 PM IST).