New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Lalit Kumar Upadhyay is among the five forwards left out of the 18-member Indian men's hockey team for next month's Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai.

Apart from Lalit, Abhishek, Pawan, Dilpreet Singh and Simranjeet Singh, who are all currently with the Indian squad in Spain gearing up for the the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-International Tournament, also missed the cut for the prestigious tournament to be played at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium from August 3 to 12.

Also Read | Japan Open 2023: Kidambi Srikanth Enters Round of 16, Aakarshi Kashyap Bows Out.

Ace dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh will continue to lead the side while midfielder Hardik Singh will serve as his deputy.

Manpreet Singh will return to the midfield after previously being listed as a defender during the European leg of the Pro League.

Also Read | Will Cristiano Ronaldo Play Tonight in Al-Nassr vs PSG, Pre-Season Friendly Match? Here's the Possibility of CR7 Featuring in the Starting XI.

India will face Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan and China in the Pool stage of the tournament.

The tournament will also serve as a preparation event for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which is also the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying tournament for hockey.

Veteran PR Sreejesh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak have been named as the team's goalkeepers, while the team also include stalwarts such as defender Amit Rohidas, midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad and former captain Manpreet, among others.

"We have carefully chosen a squad that has the potential to go on and give a good account of themselves in the Asian Champions Trophy," said chief coach Craig Fulton in a release on Tuesday.

"The squad has a blend of youth and experience. It's an exciting phase for the squad as we start the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-International Tournament in Spain tomorrow (Wednesday) and post this tournament (we) fly directly to Chennai to play at home in the Asian Champions Trophy," said Fulton.

Team:

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (capt), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas

Midfielders: Hardik Singh (vice-captain), Vivek Sagar Prasad, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh.

Forwards: Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, S Karthi.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)