Young striker Raj Kumar Pal shone with a hat-trick as defending champions India stormed into the semifinals of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2024, crushing Malaysia 8-1 in their third straight victory on Wednesday.
Raj Kumar (3rd, 25th, 33rd minute) led the charge, while Araijeet Singh Hundal (6th, 39th minute), Jugraj Singh (7th minute), captain Harmanpreet Singh (22nd minute), and Uttam Singh (40th minute) also found the back of the net for India.
Malaysia’s lone goal came from Akhimullah Anuar in the 34th minute.
With this win, India sits at the top of the standings with nine points from three matches. The six-team tournament follows a round-robin format, and the top four teams will progress to the semifinals on September 16, with the final slated for September 17.
India’s journey so far has been dominant, having earlier beaten China 3-0 and Japan 5-1. They will next face Korea on Thursday, followed by a high-stakes clash against archrival Pakistan on Saturday.
India Dominates Malaysia 8-1 with Raj Kumar’s Hat-Trick in Thrilling Victory!
In the match against Malaysia, India started strong, launching relentless attacks right from the first quarter. Raj Kumar opened the scoring with a solo effort, showcasing brilliant stickwork to break through the Malaysian defense.
Araijeet doubled the lead just three minutes later, finding the corner of the net, followed by Jugraj’s perfect penalty corner conversion to make it 3-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Malaysia came out aggressive in the second quarter but failed to capitalize on their chances. India, on the other hand, converted a penalty corner in the 22nd minute with Harmanpreet’s clinical drag-flick.
Raj Kumar added his second goal before halftime, and India went into the break with a commanding 5-0 lead.
After the restart, Raj Kumar completed his hat-trick, scoring off a rebound, marking his first hat-trick at the senior level. Malaysia managed to pull one back through Anaur, but India quickly responded with Araijeet and Uttam adding two more goals to seal the emphatic win.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan defeated Japan 2-1 to boost their chances of reaching the semifinals.
Read Also – Rinku Singh Added to India B Squad for Duleep Trophy 2024
