In a thrilling encounter at the Hero Men's Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir, India and defending champions South Korea played to a 2-2 draw in their opening Super 4s clash. The match, held on Wednesday, saw both sides battle fiercely, with India ultimately salvaging a point against the resilient Koreans.
The game started brightly for the hosts, with Hardik Singh displaying exceptional skill to score a fine solo goal in the 8th minute, giving India an early lead. However, Korea responded swiftly, with Jihun Yang converting a penalty stroke in the 12th minute. Just two minutes later, Hyeonhong Kim scored from a penalty corner, putting Korea ahead 2-1.
Despite creating numerous chances in the second and third quarters, India found it difficult to break through Korea's strong defense. The Korean defense seemed to fend off anything that India threw at them in order to stay in the lead. The hosts also missed some opportunities, adding to their frustration. The pressure was on India, who trailed for a significant portion of the match.
In the 53rd minute, India's persistence finally paid off when Sukhjeet Singh delivered a sharp pass to Mandeep Singh, who slotted the ball home to level the score. The stadium erupted as India equalized, injecting fresh hope into the home side.
Both teams had opportunities to snatch a late winner, with each earning penalty corners. However, neither side could convert, and the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Sukhjeet controlled a long pass and took a half-volley strike, but his effort flew narrowly past the post. In the 55th minute, Korea earned a penalty corner, leaving Harmanpreet visibly frustrated, but the chance went wasted. India immediately tried to launch a counterattack, but it was stopped.
India had a total of 23 circle entries but only managed 7 shots on goal, highlighting their conversion struggles. They also failed to convert any of their six penalty corners. Korea, on the other hand, made the most of their opportunities, scoring two goals from limited circle penetrations.
The draw means that both India and South Korea have one point each in the Super 4s table. Malaysia, after beating China 2-0, is the only team with a perfect win record in the tournament. India will face Malaysia in their next Super 4s match.
The match started after a delay of almost an hour because of heavy rain in Rajgir. India's squad for the Asia Cup includes players such as Krishan Pathak, Suraj Karkera, Harmanpreet Singh, and Manpreet Singh. South Korea's squad includes Daehan Jang, Jihun Yang, and Hyeonhong Kim.
