Indian hockey is on an upswing currently, and better days are pictured ahead. The Hockey India League has been revived after a seven-year hiatus and its player auction is off to a smashing start, with the talismanic Harmanpreet Singh fetching an INR 78 lakh bid to boot. (More Hockey News)

Meanwhile, the Indian junior men's hockey team is set to embark on another Sultan of Johor Cup campaign, which starts in Malaysia from October 19. The tournament will see the now-retired India custodian PR Sreejesh play the role of coach for the first time with the India colts.

India had bagged a bronze at the previous edition last year, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in a tense penalty shootout in Johor Bahru to claim the medal. They will look to improve the colour of the medal this time, seeking to go all the way.

Defender Amir Ali has been named captain with Rohit as his deputy in the 18-member Indian squad named for the tournament. Amir Ali and forward Gurjot Singh were part of the senior team that defended its title at the Asian Champions Trophy in Moqi, China in September.

"The Sultan of Johor Cup is an important tournament in our calendar as always. The tournament will serve as a litmus test for the team ahead of the Men’s Junior Asia Cup Muscat 2024 in November this year," captain Ali said in the run-up to the Cup. "All the players are excited to play some intense hockey matches in Malaysia,” he added.

Vice-captain Rohit expressed enthusiasm at being coached by Sreejesh, saying, “We have an Indian hockey legend taking charge of the team, the whole team is raring to go. PR Sreejesh is one of the most experienced players to play for India, and we look forward to making him proud in our first tournament.”

Sultan Of Johor Cup 2024: Teams And Format

The tournament will be played in a round robin format, with the six teams — Australia, Great Britain, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand apart from India — playing each other once. The top two teams at the end of the round-robin league phase will battle it out for gold, while the third and fourth-placed teams will vie for bronze.

Sultan Of Johor Cup 2024: Schedule

October 19: India vs Japan (1:35pm), Australia vs Great Britain (3:45pm), Malaysia vs New Zealand (6:05pm)

October 20: India vs Great Britain (1:35pm), Australia vs New Zealand (3:45pm), Japan vs Malaysia (6:05pm)

October 22: Japan vs Australia (1:35pm), New Zealand vs Great Britain (3:45pm), India vs Malaysia (6:05pm)

October 23: New Zealand vs Japan (1:35pm), India vs Australia (3:45pm), Great Britain vs Malaysia (6:05pm)

October 25: India vs New Zealand (1:35pm), Great Britain vs Japan (3:45pm), Malaysia vs Australia (6:05pm)

October 26: Fifth-Sixth place match (1:05pm), Third-place match (3:35pm), Final (6:05pm)

Sultan Of Johor Cup 2024: India Squad

Goalkeepers: Bikramjit Singh, Ali Khan

Defenders: Amir Ali (C), Talem Priyobarta, Shardanand Tiwari, Sukhvinder, Anmol Ekka, Rohit (VC)

Midfielders: Ankit Pal, Manmeet Singh, Rosan Kujur, Mukesh Toppo, Chandan Yadav

Forwards: Gurjot Singh, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Dilraj Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Konain Dad.

Sultan Of Johor Cup 2024: Live Streaming Details

The telecast and live streaming details for Sultan of Johor Cup 2024 are not yet confirmed. We will update this space whenever there is fresh information available.