India goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak has said he spent his time away from the senior national side working on every area flagged for improvement and is now fully focused on making an impact at the Asian Champions Trophy 2026, scheduled across Jalandhar and Mohali from 27 October to 5 November 2026. The 29-year-old, who holds 156 international caps, returns to international action after more than nine months, having last represented India during the tour of South Africa in December 2025.

The Road Back to the Senior Squad

Pathak was included in India's 18-member squad for the tournament, replacing Mohith HS between the posts. During his absence from the senior setup, he trained with India's development squad in Bengaluru and also travelled with the national team to the FIH World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium as a non-playing member — keeping himself close to the environment even when sidelined.

'Whatever the coach told me in terms of improvement, I was working on that while here in Bengaluru with the development team. I believe I have done that and am now focused on this opportunity at the Asian Champions Trophy,' Pathak said.

Extra Sessions and Match Practice

Beyond standard team training, Pathak undertook additional goalkeeping sessions to address the specific aspects of his game that required attention. The development squad played competitive matches against the Karnataka senior national team in Bengaluru, giving him live match sharpness alongside the specialised drills.

'We played matches against the Karnataka senior national team in Bengaluru. But besides the matches and team training, we did extra goalkeeping sessions so that I keep working on the things that I was told to improve upon,' he added.

Homecoming at Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium

The tournament carries particular personal significance for Pathak: the league-stage matches in Jalandhar will be played at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, the very ground where he spent seven years at the Surjit Hockey Academy learning and refining his craft. For the Punjab-born goalkeeper, representing India in his home state adds a layer of emotion that goes beyond the continental title.

'What makes the occasion even bigger for me and others from the Surjit Hockey Academy is that we will be playing at the same ground where we learned the sport for seven years. I don't think there can be anything bigger than that. I would like to thank the Punjab government and Hockey India for giving us this opportunity,' Pathak said.

Filling the Sreejesh-Shaped Gap

Pathak previously served as the understudy to legendary goalkeeper and former India captain PR Sreejesh, who retired following the Paris 2024 Olympics. With Sreejesh gone, Pathak's experience — accumulated across multiple international campaigns — becomes a key asset for India's goalkeeping unit at the continental level. His return strengthens a department that has been in transition since the Paris Games.

India's Schedule and Tournament Context

India open their campaign against Bangladesh on 27 October, followed by fixtures against China (29 October), Japan (30 October), Malaysia (1 November), and South Korea (2 November). While Jalandhar hosts all league-stage matches, Mohali will stage the semi-finals and medal matches on 4 and 5 November.

India enter as the most decorated side in the tournament's history, having won the title five times — in 2011, 2016, 2018 (joint winners), 2023, and 2024. A sixth title on home soil, at a ground where their returning goalkeeper once learned the game, would carry a symbolism hard to script.