Asian Games, hockey: Sonepat’s Abhishek, after the most important goal of his career so far, emerges from Hangzhou with reputation enhanced | Hockey News

It would be too simplistic to put this down to one moment, but what helped India in Hangzhou was a decisive late goal. It came from the stick of Abhishek.

“Abhi tak poora career ka sabse favourite goal hai,” Abhishek says to the Indian Express. Favourite goal of his career.

With India leading 4-3 and six minutes left on the clock, Abhishek entered the circle with a nutmeg on a defender and unleashed a powerful strike. The Korean goalkeeper’s reaction said it all: he had little time to react, beaten comprehensively by the speed at which the ball came.

“At that time, the pressure was there on us, momentum was with Korea. If we didn’t score then, who knows what could have happened. But deep inside, I knew that in Q4 pucca ek do chances milega mujhe. I just knew that I had to take a good shot and that connection and angle was great,” the 24-year-old said.

It was arguably the most crucial goal in India’s quest for gold.

Since his senior debut in the Pro League in 2022, Abhishek has earned 55 caps and scored 27 goals, nine of those came at Asian Games as India reclaimed the gold they lost in 2018.

“Abhishek is the Indian striker who has impressed me the most in the last couple of years. He has speed, strength and skill – everything you need in a good forward,” former Indian captain Viren Rasquinha tells this newspaper.

“That strike against South Korea with a reverse-hit tomahawk to make it 5-3 in the semifinal, was possibly the best goal of the entire tournament. And one that came at the most critical time. That’s the quality of a World Class striker. When you score goals at points where your team needs them the most.”

While he has been around for a while now, Hangzhou was when he truly came into his own as a complete forward. He scored in the semifinal and the final. He also hit another thumping strike against Bangladesh from long range. But his overall gameplay and connections with senior forward Mandeep Singh were also standout features.

“One of his biggest attributes is that he is a great team player,” Rasquinha said. “The 1-2 passes he exchanged with Mandeep Singh in the Japan match, was superb. He made very good assists throughout the tournament.”

Abhishek and Mandeep constantly kept looking for each other, and weren’t hesitant to turn providers to the man better placed. Abhishek says, “Mandeep is a legend. I have learned so much from him, how to receive the ball, positioning for knowing when to move where, and so much more. Our connection is good during the training too.”

Abhishek had suffered a nasty injury as a kid in Sonepat when he jumped off a tree and his hand got stuck over the wall that had broken glass and barbed wire fencing. He had to be rushed to the ICU. Oddly enough, that scary incident proved to be a turning point. Once his coach Shamsher Singh (also a Hindi master at his school) convinced his parents to let him return to hockey, Abhishek’s focus doubled down. He is thankful to this day for the role his coach played in what he calls his second shot at life.

“Bilkul hamesha yaad rehta hai (that incident),” Abhishek recalls. “Whatever happened to me, it is the reason for where I am today. I actually spoke to Shamsher ji after the Korea match as well, he told me ‘this is what I wanted for you. In a pressure match, to see you score, it was my dream. Medal bhi aaye, aur tu score bhi karein’.”

Another thing that Shamsher taught him was to watch and learn from Lionel Messi. Abhishek says it’s not just goalscoring that he admires about the Argentine. “One thing Messi does a lot is pre-scan,” he says. “He knows inside where the ball will come, and where to pass it. It is important to assist too as a forward. The connections are important because otherwise the defenders are going to mark you out.”

Now that he has made a name for himself with a memorable campaign in Hangzhou, the goal has shifted. The target is Paris. “An Olympics gold medal is the dream now,” he says.