Playing at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, Harmanpreet opened the scoring in the third minute with a penalty-corner conversion. Malaysia responded through Akhimullah Anuar in the 25th minute, but the Indian skipper restored the lead in the 33rd minute with another penalty-corner goal.
India took control in the second half, with Sukhjeet Singh extending the advantage in the 43rd minute after receiving a fine pass from Hardik Singh. Harmanpreet then completed his hat-trick in the 58th minute by converting a penalty stroke. Malaysia managed a late consolation goal through Shello Silverius, but India held on for a 4-2 win.
The victory was India’s fourth in as many matches, taking their tally to 12 points and keeping them at the top of the standings with a goal difference of +21. Malaysia are second with nine points, followed by Japan with seven and South Korea with six. All four teams have already booked their places in the semi-finals.
Harmanpreet has been India’s standout performer in front of goal and currently leads the tournament’s scoring charts with eight goals. After the Malaysia victory, the Indian captain reiterated the team’s ambition to win the title on home soil.
“We are here for gold…Our only target is to win at home…All the youngsters coming in are doing well,” he said.
India will now look to finish the league stage on a high against South Korea before turning their attention to the knockout rounds. With the home crowd providing strong support in Jalandhar, the hosts will aim to continue their dominant run.
Follow our live blog for live updates, goals, scores and all the key moments from India vs South Korea in the Asian Champions Trophy 2026.
