India will open their Asian Champions Trophy 2026 campaign against Bangladesh in Jalandhar on October 27. The tournament runs until November 5 across two Punjab venues. Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said, "We are delighted to welcome the teams from across Asia to Punjab and look forward to witnessing high-quality hockey."
Asian Games champions India will open their campaign against Bangladesh in the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 in Jalandhar on October 27, with the tournament set to be held across two venues in Punjab until November 5.
The Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar will host all league-stage matches from October 27 to November 2, before the action shifts to the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali for the knockout stage.
The semi-finals will be played on November 4, while the bronze-medal match and the final are scheduled for November 5.
The tournament will feature six teams: defending champions and reigning Asian Games gold medallists India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh. India, five-time winners of the competition, will enter the tournament as the top-ranked side after successfully defending their Asian Games title in Japan.
The opening ceremony will take place on October 27, shortly before India face Bangladesh in their opening match. The six teams will compete in a single round-robin league phase, with each side playing five matches. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
After their opener against Bangladesh, India will face China on October 29, Japan on October 30, Malaysia on November 1 and South Korea on November 2. All five of India's league matches are scheduled to begin at 7 PM IST.
October 28, October 31 and November 3 have been designated as rest days.
India are the most successful team in the history of the Asian Champions Trophy, having won the title in 2011, 2016, 2018 (jointly with Pakistan), 2023 and 2024. The hosts will look to extend their dominance in front of home supporters in Punjab.
"The announcement of the match schedule adds to the excitement for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026. We are delighted to welcome the teams from across Asia to Punjab and look forward to witnessing some high-quality hockey," Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said.
Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh added: "With the schedule now announced, the countdown to the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 has truly begun."