The Harmanpreet factor: Why India need their captain firing at the World Cup

As India's players prepare for the World Cup, their captain, Harmanpreet Singh, is absent from the training drills. Harmanpreet, the team's big-match weapon and skilled drag-flicker, has been dealing with a series of injuries over the past two years. His recent performance has been below par, with a decreasing goal tally in recent years.

Despite this, India heavily relies on Harmanpreet for goals due to his aerial range, long grounded passes, and flicks. Captain Craig Fulton acknowledges the need for Harmanpreet to be fully fit for the upcoming tournament, as his absence could impact India's chances of ending their 51-year wait for Olympic gold. The team is working on building a backup battery of penalty-corner specialists to compensate for Harmanpreet's potential decline.

However, Harmanpreet remains the one Indian cannot easily replace, as his presence in the team significantly boosts their win percentage.