‘India-Pakistan flavor will be missed’: Suraj Karkera on rivals’ withdrawal from Asian Champions Trophy

Suraj Karkera reacts to Pakistan’s withdrawal of ACT (Image: Instagram/ @surajkarkera7) The absence of an India-Pakistan clash may take away some of the intensity and excitement from the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) Punjab 2026, but defending champions India remain focused on retaining their title, goalkeeper Suraj Karkera said. With Pakistan pulling out of the continental tournament and Bangladesh stepping in as their replacement, the Indian team will turn their attention to continuing their dominance in Asian hockey.

Pakistan’s withdrawal leaves the India-Pakistan rivalry on the back burner

Pakistan’s withdrawal ruled out a potential showdown between India and Pakistan at the Asian Champions Trophy, which will be held from October 27 to November 5 in Jalandhar and Mohali in Punjab.Bangladesh replaced Pakistan in the six-team tournament after the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s participation remained subject to government approval. PHF president Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani had earlier indicated that the federation would follow the government’s decision regarding the team’s proposed visit to India.India and Pakistan share one of the most intense rivalries in international hockey and their encounters traditionally attract considerable fan attention. However, the recent head-to-head record has heavily favored India.In their last 20 matches since 2016, India have won 18 matches while the remaining two ended in draws. Pakistan are yet to register a win in this period. Their last encounter was in the semi-finals of the 2026 Asian Games where India defeated Pakistan 4-3.

“The India-Pakistan flavor will be missed” – Karkera

Karkera acknowledged that fans will miss the fierce rivalry between the two neighbours, but stressed that the players have little control over their participation in international tournaments. He added that the Indian team will focus on performing at its best.“They are a good team and the athletes never want to withdraw from the tournament but these are things beyond our control. We are just there to go and give our best and I think the result will take care of itself. People will miss the taste of India and Pakistan but that is something that is far behind us,” Karkera told ANI.The Indian goalkeeper was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony where Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth interacted with and congratulated the Indian Army athletes participating in the 2026 Asian Games.

India’s aim is to defend the Asian Champions Trophy title

With Pakistan out of the tournament, India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh will feature in the competition. India will enter as the defending champions, the reigning Asian Games gold medalists and the highest-ranked team in the field.The Indian men’s hockey team comes to Punjab after another successful campaign at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan where they successfully defended the gold medal with a commanding 5-1 victory over Malaysia in the final.The triumph marked India’s fifth hockey gold at the Asian Games after their victories in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2022. It also marked a historic edition for Indian hockey as both the men’s and women’s teams won gold medals at the same Asian Games for the first time.Five-time winners of the Asian Champions Trophy, India will now look to carry that momentum into the continental competition and strengthen their position among Asia’s leading hockey nations.