India vs Japan Hockey Asia Cup 2025: Mandeep, Harmanpreet shine as India beat Japan 3-2 to keep winning streak alive

India secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Japan in a Pool A clash of the Asia Cup hockey tournament, marking their second win in a row and boosting their chances of reaching the Super Four stage.

Written by: Akshat Jain Edited by: Akshat Jain

Published: August 31, 2025, 8:30 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/sports/india-vs-japan-hockey-asia-cup-2025-mandeep-harmanpreet-shine-as-india-beat-japan-3-2-to-keep-winning-streak-alive-8045523/ Copy

India beat Japan 3-2 to keep winning streak alive. (PIC - File Photo)

New Delhi: With the help of two goals from captain Harmanpreet Singh, India defeated Japan 3-2 in a tough Pool A match of the Asia Cup Hockey Tournament on Sunday and registered its second consecutive win and strengthened its position for the Super Four stage. India’s place in the knockout stage is almost confirmed.

Harmanpreet, who scored a hat-trick in the first match against China, scored two goals on penalty corners in the fifth and 46th minutes, while Mandeep Singh scored another goal for India in the fourth minute. Kosei Kawabe scored both the goals for Japan in the 38th and 59th minutes. India started its campaign in the tournament on Friday with a 4-3 victory over China.

How does the points table look after India’s win?

After two wins in two matches, India is at the top of Pool A with six points. Japan and China have registered one win each. Whereas Kazakhstan has not registered a single win yet. India will now play its next match against Kazakhstan. While Japan has to face China. In such a situation, any one team from Japan or China can reach 6 points. The Indian team has already set one foot in the Super-4.

India has two wins in two matches. India has scored 7 goals in the tournament, while 5 goals have been scored against it. Its goal difference is 2. China has scored 16 goals, while 5 goals have been scored against it and its goal difference is 11. Japan, which is in third place, has scored 9 goals and conceded 3 goals. Japan’s goal difference is 6.

Who is at the top of Pool B?

Malaysia is at the top of Pool B with 6 points. Malaysia has played two matches and has won both. Korea is in second place in Pool B. Korea has played one match and lost one. Bangladesh is in third place with 3 points and has also played one match and lost one.

Story Highlights:

1. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice from penalty corners to help India defeat Japan 3-2 in the Asia Cup Hockey tournament.
2. With this second straight win, India has strengthened its position in the Super 4 stage.
3. India now leads Pool A with six points, while Japan and China have one win each.