Lalit Kumar completes 150 international appearances for Indian hockey

Lalit, who hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, achieved the feat during Indias match at the ongoing 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 against Pakistan.

India have been unbeaten so far at the ongoing 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, winning their first game 16-0 against Uzbekistan, winning 16-1 against Singapore in their second match, and then beating Japan 4-2 in a thrilling encounter.

The Indian Mens Hockey Team then beat Pakistan 10-2 on Sunday and will be up against Bangladesh on October 2, 2023, as per a press release from Hockey India.

Lalit made his India debut at the 2014 Hockey World Cup. He was part of the squad that won the 2016 Mens Asian Champions Trophy and played a key role in Indias 2017 Asia Cup victory, scoring as many as four goals.

Lalit was also part of the Indian team that won the Bronze medal at the Odisha Mens Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017 and the Silver medal at the FIH Mens Champions Trophy 2018.

The 29-year-olds consistent performances have seen him become a mainstay in the Indian teams success in recent years. He was a part of the team that won the Bronze Medal at the 2018 Asian Games, and Gold Medal at the Mens Asian Champions Trophy 2018.

Lalit also featured for India at the FIH Mens Hockey World Cup Odisha 2018 and in 2023. Lalit has to his credit an Olympic Bronze Medal and a Commonwealth Games Silver Medal. He was also a crucial part of the Indian squad that came third at the FIH Pro League 2021-22.

Speaking on the milestone, Lalit said, "I feel honoured to have represented India for almost a decade now and earning my 150th International Cap will always be a special memory for me. I will always give my best each time I get the opportunity to don the Indian jersey. I would like to thank Hockey India, my teammates and the support staff for their constant support over the years."

Congratulating Lalit Kumar Upadhyay on the accomplishment, Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey said, "I congratulate Lalit Kumar Upadhyay for earning his 150th International Cap. It is truly special and memorable for any player to wear the Indian Jersey and represent the country at an international tournament. Over the past few years, Lalit has proved his mettle with some phenomenal performances and I am sure that he will continue to make the country proud and add more accolades to his name going forward." (ANI)