India go down 3-2 to Netherlands in FIH Men’s Pro League opener

India suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Netherlands in their opening FIH Men's Pro League 2025-26 match in Rotterdam. Goals from Dilpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh kept India in contention, but the hosts held on despite sustained late pressure

Rotterdam: The Indian men’s hockey team suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat to the Netherlands in their opening match of the FIH Men’s Pro League 2025-26 Rotterdam leg at Hockey Club Rotterdam on Sunday.

Dilpreet Singh (10th minute) and Sukhjeet Singh (33rd) scored for India, while Miles Bukkens (3rd), Koen Bijen (23rd) and Tijmen Reyenga (40th) found the net for the hosts.

---

The Netherlands began the game on the front foot, controlling possession and looking to make early inroads. The hosts piled on the pressure with four penalty corners in quick succession and drew first blood when Bukkens fired a reverse shot past the Indian goalkeeper to hand his side an early lead.

Shilanand Lakra nearly brought India level soon after when his effort struck the post in the eighth minute. The visitors eventually equalised through Dilpreet Singh, whose finish from a narrow angle capped a sensational long pass from Harmanpreet Singh in the 10th minute.

Dominating possession in the second quarter, the Netherlands created chances regularly but were repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Suraj Karkera. India, relying on counterattacks, had an opportunity to take the lead through Dilpreet, but the forward was thwarted by the Dutch goalkeeper.

The hosts regained the advantage in the 23rd minute when Koen Bijen found the back of the net with a first-time strike, giving the Netherlands a 2-1 lead at halftime.

India started the second half brightly, stringing together neat passes to dictate the tempo. The visitors earned their first penalty corner of the match and capitalised through a well-worked set-piece move, which was finished by Sukhjeet Singh in the 33rd minute to make it 2-2.

However, the Dutch restored their lead seven minutes later as Tijmen Reyenga converted a penalty-corner variation with a powerful strike past Karkera.

Trailing by a goal, India showed greater attacking intent in the final quarter and pinned the Netherlands back in their own half. Despite earning several penalty corners and mounting sustained pressure in search of an equaliser, India could not find a breakthrough as the hosts held firm to secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

India will next face Germany on June 17.