India vs Pakistan: FIH Pro League 2025-26 London leg schedule, June 23-28
Synopsis
India and Pakistan meet on the hockey field for the first time in nearly two years — and they do it twice in four days in London. With Pakistan yet to earn a single point this Pro League season and India unbeaten against them in 17 straight encounters, the rivalry fixture carries both sporting weight and a genuine table-stakes dimension for the ninth-placed side.
Key Takeaways
India play four matches in the FIH Men's Pro League 2025–26 London leg from 23 to 28 June — twice each against Pakistan and England .
The India-Pakistan clashes are the first between the two sides since the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China , where India won 2-1 .
India are unbeaten against Pakistan in 17 encounters over the last decade, with 15 wins and 2 draws .
India enter the London leg eighth on the table with 10 points ; England are second with 26 points ; Pakistan are ninth with 0 points .
Coach Craig Fulton urged the squad to treat the Pakistan fixture 'like any other game' and focus on process.
India's Rotterdam leg yielded 2 wins from 4 matches , including victories over Germany and the Netherlands.
India's men's hockey team heads to London for the FIH Men's Pro League 2025–26 London leg, running from 23 to 28 June, with two blockbuster clashes against arch-rivals Pakistan headlining a six-day schedule that also features back-to-back fixtures against hosts England. The London leg arrives on the back of a solid Rotterdam campaign and represents a pivotal stretch in India's Pro League season.
The India-Pakistan Rivalry Returns
The two India vs Pakistan encounters are the most anticipated fixtures of the London leg, marking the first meeting between the two Asian sides in nearly two years. Their last clash was at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China, where India edged out a 2-1 victory.
Over the past decade, India's dominance in this fixture has been near-total — the side remains unbeaten across 17 encounters against Pakistan, recording 15 wins and two draws. That record makes this one of the most lopsided active rivalries in international hockey, even as the fixture continues to generate outsized interest.
India's Form Coming Into London
The Harmanpreet Singh-led squad arrives in London with momentum from the Rotterdam leg in the Netherlands, where India secured two outright wins from four matches. The campaign opened with a narrow 2-3 defeat against the Netherlands, before India bounced back with a 3-1 win over reigning World Champions Germany. A 1-2 reverse in the return fixture against Germany followed, but India closed the leg strongly with an impressive 3-2 victory over the Netherlands.
That finishing surge — beating the host nation after two setbacks — signals a squad capable of absorbing pressure and responding. It is precisely the kind of resilience coach Craig Fulton will be looking to replicate in London.
What the Coach Said
Speaking ahead of the London fixtures, India's chief coach Craig Fulton reflected on the Netherlands leg with measured optimism. 'We had some very promising performances in the Netherlands leg. We worked very hard in the build-up, and so it's good to see the consistency coming through,' he said.
On the Pakistan matches specifically, Fulton stressed process over occasion: 'For us, it's important that we treat the fixture against Pakistan like any other game and focus on our processes. If we really do that well, then the result takes care of itself.'
On the England challenge, he added: 'England is one of the teams in form and playing well. Our squad is feeling confident and looking forward to the England block.'
Points Table and What's at Stake
Heading into the London leg, India sit eighth on the FIH Men's Pro League 2025–26 standings with 10 points from 12 matches. England are second with 26 points, while Pakistan are ninth and are yet to open their points tally — also from 12 matches. For India, maximum points from the London leg could significantly alter their standings. For Pakistan, these fixtures represent an urgent chance to avoid finishing the season without a single point.
London Leg Schedule
India's London programme is as follows: Pakistan on 23 June, England on 25 June, Pakistan again on 26 June, and a final fixture against England on 28 June. Four matches in six days, with the rivalry fixture bookending the week, makes this the most compressed and high-stakes stretch of India's Pro League calendar so far.
Point of View
And that is not without logic — but the real story in London is structural. India sit eighth with 10 points, a position that reflects inconsistency rather than a lack of quality; their Rotterdam wins over Germany and the Netherlands show the ceiling is high. Pakistan's zero-point tally after 12 matches, meanwhile, makes this less a rivalry and more a rescue mission for them. Fulton's instruction to 'treat Pakistan like any other game' is tactically sound, but the points table context means India cannot afford to let occasion management cost them results they need. The London leg will reveal whether this squad can sustain performance across a compressed schedule — which is ultimately the test that matters more than the rivalry optics.
NationPress
22 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the FIH Men's Pro League 2025-26 London leg?
The London leg of the FIH Men's Pro League 2025–26 runs from 23 to 28 June in London. India play four matches across six days — twice against Pakistan and twice against England.
When did India last play Pakistan in hockey?
India and Pakistan last met at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China, where India won 2-1. The London leg marks their first encounter in nearly two years.
What is India's head-to-head record against Pakistan in the last 10 years?
India are unbeaten against Pakistan across 17 encounters over the last decade, recording 15 wins and 2 draws. Pakistan have not beaten India in any of those meetings.
Where does India stand on the FIH Pro League 2025-26 points table?
India are eighth with 10 points from 12 matches heading into the London leg. England are second with 26 points, while Pakistan are ninth and are yet to earn a point from 12 matches.
What was India's performance in the Rotterdam leg of the FIH Pro League?
India secured two wins from four matches in Rotterdam. They beat Germany 3-1 and the Netherlands 3-2, while losing 2-3 to the Netherlands and 1-2 to Germany in the respective return fixtures.
