Hockey World Cup: No Rupinder, SV Sunil in India's 18-man squad

NEW DELHI: Hockey India (HI) named the 18-member squad for the coming FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup in Bhuabaneswar, with SV Sunil, Rupinder Singh and Ramandeep Singh the notable absentees from the list.
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Sunil suffered a knee injury during the national camp ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy and Ramandeep still reportedly hasn't fully recovered from the leg injury he sustained during the Champions Trophy in Breda earlier his year.
Rupinder Pal Singh, in all likelihood, was left out on form. However, the HI press release didn't mention reasons for omitting the three senior men.

Veteran Birendra Lakra brought much cheer to local fans in Odisha by making a return to fitness and finding a place in the final 18 from among the 34 core probables named earlier. Amit Rohidas was the other Odia player making the cut.
Midfielder Manpreet Singh will continue to lead the side, after replacing goalkeeper PR Sreejesh following the Asian Games where India finished with a disappointing bronze medal. Fellow midfielder Chinglensana Singh will continue to be Manpreet's deputy.
Youngsters Nilakanta Sharma and Hardik Singh are two of the surprise inclusion in the squad.
Harmanpreet Singh is the lone notable drag-flicker among defenders, as Varun Kumar and Rohidas aren't regulars at the top of the circle during penalty-corner routines.
India will miss the services of experienced players the most in the forward line with both Sunil and Ramandeep not in the squad.
India play their opening match against South Africa on the inaugural day - November 28 - and are in Pool C, with World No. 3 Belgium and Canada completing the four-team group. The final will be played on December 16.
Top-place finishers from each of the four pools gain direct qualification to the quarter-finals, while teams finishing last will bow out of the tournament. Teams ending second and third in their pools will play in the cross-over matches for the remaining four quarter-final spots.
"We have chosen the best available combinations for World Cup. We had to make some tough decisions to select 18 out of a very strong pool of 34 players," coach Harendra Singh was quoted as saying in the HI press release.
"The final 18 are a mix of experience and youth and have been selected on the basis of their current form and fitness. These players have consistently shown their potential in the lead up to the showpiece event, and I am confident India will put up a fighting performance," he added.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Varun Kumar, Kothajit Singh, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas
Midfielders: Manpreet Singh (captain), Chinglensana Singh (vice-captain), Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Sumit
Forwards: Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Simranjeet Singh