Captain ketan kushwaha

Hockey U18 Asia Cup: Captain Ketan Kushwaha scored a hat-trick as the Indian men's hockey team opened its campaign at the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 with a dominant 13-0 victory over Kazakhstan in Pool A here on Friday.

Ketan led from the front with three goals, while Prahalad Rajbhar, Ashish Tani Purti, Ansh Bahutra and Shahrukh Ali registered a brace each.

India controlled proceedings from the outset and were rewarded for their persistence after Kazakhstan weathered the early pressure. Shahrukh Ali (12') broke the deadlock with a thunderous strike from inside the circle before Prahalad Rajbhar (14') doubled the advantage just two minutes later, giving India a firm grip on the contest by the end of the first quarter.