India’s goalkeeping department comprising, Suraj Karkera and Mohith HS, endured a rocky start, having come together only at the start of the year. After a difficult beginning, the duo is now facing its biggest test at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026.
Before the start of the tournament, both Karkera and Mohith had a combined international 105 caps, making them the eighth-most experienced goalkeeping pair. While Karkera has been on the fringes of the senior team since 2018, Mohith has had little time to adapt to the demands of this level.
Their partnership kicked off with the disastrous start to the Pro League this year, where India conceded a whopping 19 goals in the four defeats in Rourkela, as head coach Craig Fulton looked to bed in new players.
Recalling the trying period, Karkera felt the side’s issues were largely due to not ‘getting the basics’ right.
“We were not doing the basics correctly and it’s not an individual error, it’s a team error. You score the goal and you concede a goal, it’s a team sport,” the 30-year-old told Sportstar.
“So we were looking at where we can be better in deep defence, in Penalty Corner defending, or in and around the 25. And we worked around quite well with the Australia leg after the Rourkela leg. The European leg was great for us in terms of defending.”
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While the team made improvements before the World Cup, conceding just 14 goals in eight games in the European leg, it appears those issues have resurfaced again in the Netherlands.
Mistakes on the ball have led to transitions, leaving the goalkeepers exposed. After the Pakistan game, skipper Harmanpreet Singh had also called for his teammates to cut out ‘silly mistakes’, which have led to eight goals scored against them.
“Hockey has changed completely with aerial play and its dynamics making defending hard. With the speed of the game, you have to make decisions in a fraction of a second. Of course, we could have avoided a few goals.
“There’s no pushing it under the carpet. There are areas we have to improve and there is a line we should not allow the attackers to cross. We will look at the videos where we can improve, do the basics correctly and then we can turn it around pretty well,” said an optimistic Karkera.
Having been thrust into the senior role, Karkera, despite his relative inexperience, is doing his part in bringing along young Mohith.
“During training, we tell each other, ‘this is the area where we can improve. Look at the videos of the attacking team’s PCs or who is the main dragflicker, what are his habits’. I think it’s a team within a team,” he said.
The Mumbai-based shot-stopper also added the pair has been working closely with the goalkeeping coach to analyse and understand how it can influence the team through tough phases of play.
“I think it’s a sharing kind of a thing because we play quarter-to-quarter. So we help each other in between half-time and if there’s something the other team is doing, I think we make sure we tell each other to make a note of it,” he added.
In the midst of India’s resurgence in the Pro League, it also beat Netherlands, its next opponent in the World Cup. Karkera believes if his team carries out its plan to perfection, it can cause another upset.
Published on Aug 21, 2026
