Indian men have taken part in the all the six editions of Asian Champions Trophy. Except in 2013 when a Junior World Cup team that was to be held a few months after the Asian Champions Trophy, India always played its best team. Fittingly, it got the rewards to.

India won the Gold in the inaugural edition in 2011 with new foreign coach Michael Nobbs, who replaced Spaniard Jose Brasa. The first outing for the Australian turned out to be heartwarming as the team beat arch rival Pakistan  on penalty shoot out, throwing the process a hero in Yuvraj Walmiki. The Bombaite struck the last of the Indian penalty shoot out for his glory.

India however lost the final in the next (2012), clinching the Silver. This site covered the event comprehensively, our reporter happened to be the lone foreign media person.

Gregg Clark, who is with the senior team now as deputy to Graham Reid, was the coach when the Indian junior team led by Manpreet Singh, first of his three Asian Champions Trophy leadership, fared badly against seniors. It avoided the wooden spoon defeated Doha in the 5th place decider.

In 2016 at Kuantan in Malaysia, the format was changed with a result the teams played a couple of matches more. India won five matches while drawing two to win the title under the leadership of PR Sreejesh.

IN 2018, the final was washed out, India and Pakistan were the joint winners. However, India did win five of its matches while drawing one.

So far, India has played 31 matches winning 20, drawing seven. It had lost only four matches so far. Goal count is 120 for, 47 against.

India was always the top ranked team in the decade. This year too is not an exception. However, Indian enters the field with its highest ever FIH ranking – 3rd after its Tokyo success.

It automatically bears pressure on India at Dhaka