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Why it matters
A win takes the defending champions into Thursday's final with a chance at a sixth Asian Champions Trophy title. It is also the first time the national team plays at the current Mohali stadium, Sportstar reported, and entry is free for fans who register in advance.
India vs Korea hockey comes round again on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, this time with a place in the Asian Champions Trophy final at stake. The semi-final is scheduled for 7 pm IST at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, two days after India beat the same Korean side 8-0 in Jalandhar to finish the league stage unbeaten, Hockey India said in its match preview.
India are the defending Asian Champions Trophy champions and have won it five times: in 2011, 2016, 2018 (shared with Pakistan), 2023 and 2024. The open question before the match is forward Abhishek, who hurt his ankle during the league stage and sat out the win over Korea.
Asian Champions Trophy semi-final: times and where to watch
Mohali hosts all of Wednesday’s Asian Champions Trophy games after the league stage in Jalandhar ended on Monday. Hockey India’s release gives this order of play for the day:
| Time (IST) | Match | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 2 pm | China vs Bangladesh | 5th and 6th place |
| 4.30 pm | Japan vs Malaysia | First semi-final |
| 7 pm | India vs Korea | Second semi-final |
The medal matches follow on Thursday, 5 November. Entry to the stadium is free, but fans have to register first on the Ticketgenie website or app, according to Hockey India. Star Sports 2 will show the matches live on TV and JioHotstar will stream them.
The move to Mohali is a small piece of history of its own. Sportstar reported that Wednesday will be the first time the present stadium hosts the Indian national team, and that international hockey returns to the Chandigarh area after 17 years. The Mohali pitch is blue, while the league games in Jalandhar were played on a green surface, the magazine noted.
How India and Korea reached the semi-final
The two teams arrive from opposite ends of the table. India won all five league matches for 15 points. Korea lost three of theirs and finished fourth on six points, behind Japan (10) and Malaysia (9). China finished fifth with two points and Bangladesh sixth with one, Hockey India’s final standings show.
| Date | India | Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 27 October | Beat Bangladesh 13-0 | Lost to Japan 2-3 |
| 29 October | Beat China 5-2 | Lost to Malaysia 1-3 |
| 30 October | Beat Japan 4-1 | Beat China 2-1 |
| 1 November | Beat Malaysia 4-2 | Beat Bangladesh 5-0 |
| 2 November | Beat Korea 8-0 | Lost to India 0-8 |
Added up, the gap is wide. India scored 34 goals and let in five, a goal difference of plus 29. Korea scored 10 and conceded 15. By NewsPlainly’s calculation, that is 6.8 goals a match for India against 2.0 for Korea, and India conceded one goal a match against Korea’s three. Both of Korea’s wins came against the two bottom sides, China and Bangladesh, The Tribune pointed out.
The head-to-head record this year points the same way. Apart from Monday’s 8-0, India beat Korea 8-2 at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September on their way to the gold medal, Hockey India said.
Abhishek’s injury and Harmanpreet Singh’s nine goals
Abhishek has three goals in the tournament but missed the Korea game with the injury. Chief coach Craig Fulton said on Monday night that the team was still waiting to know if he could play, and that the time to recover was very short, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. Captain Harmanpreet Singh was more hopeful. He said the forward had been rested and that he hoped Abhishek would be fit for the semi-final, PTI quoted him as saying. Sportstar reported that both men played down the injury but would not bet on him playing.
India have not leaned on one player for goals. Harmanpreet leads the tournament’s scoring chart with nine, eight of them from penalty corners and one from a penalty stroke, according to PTI. A penalty corner is a set piece the attacking team gets, usually for a defending foul inside or near the circle. Sukhjeet Singh and Dilpreet Singh have four goals each, and Jugraj Singh has three, Hockey India said.
If Abhishek misses out, more of the attacking work falls on Mandeep Singh, Sukhjeet and Shilanand Lakra, with younger forwards Aditya Arjun Lalage and Angad Bir Singh also in the squad, the Indian Express wrote in its preview. Mandeep scored a hat-trick in the 13-0 opening win, as NewsPlainly reported from the first match. The tournament is also the last for midfielder Nilakanta Sharma in an India shirt, according to PTI.
Craig Fulton has warned his players against reading too much into the league result. “The pressure will be different. We need a good start, that’s going to be the key,” he said after Monday’s game, as quoted by Hockey India.
What the India vs Korea hockey result decides
The winner of the 7 pm match meets the winner of Japan against Malaysia in Thursday’s final. The two semi-final losers play for third place on the same day. The Hockey India releases read for this article did not give times for Thursday’s matches.
The Tribune’s preview rated the other semi-final as much harder to call. Japan beat Malaysia 2-1 on the last day of the league stage to take second place. Malaysia’s attack is led by Abu Kamal Azrai, who has five goals, and Anuar Akhimullah, who has four, according to Hockey India.
Set pieces are where India have hurt teams most: penalty corners brought eight of Harmanpreet’s nine goals, PTI reported. At the other end, India’s defence has let in five goals in five games.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the India vs Korea hockey semi-final?
7 pm IST on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, according to Hockey India.
Where can I watch the Asian Champions Trophy semi-final?
On Star Sports 2 on TV and on JioHotstar online. Entry to the stadium is free after registering on the Ticketgenie website or app.
Is Abhishek playing in the semi-final?
It was not confirmed. He hurt his ankle and missed the 8-0 win over Korea. Coach Craig Fulton said the team was waiting for an update, PTI reported.
When is the Asian Champions Trophy final?
On Thursday, 5 November 2026, in Mohali. The winner of India vs Korea meets the winner of Japan vs Malaysia.