The 5 key players for India in the Hockey World league Finals 2015

The national team will look to put their best foot forward, despite being in the ‘pool of death’The hour is upon us as the most prestigious hockey tournament of the year, the Hero Hockey World League Final, is about to commence. The top eight men’s teams from across the world will look to outplay each other and carve out their credentials as world beaters, as they step onto the astro-turf at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International hockey stadium in Raipur.India, riding a wave of good form which helped them ascend the global rankings to sixth place, will look to parlay that form and confidence into a high finish. Despite a home field advantage, India are expected to be put through the wringer from the get-go, as they face fifth-ranked Argentina and third-ranked Germany in their first two matches.Under the expert eye of veteran coach Roelant Oltmans, the Indians have put on impressive shows against New Zealand (they won the away tour) and World Champions Australia (home series drawn 1-1). More importantly, these two tournaments have made immeasurable contributions to the overall evolution of the team. Facing the gauntlet, the hosts will have to use contributions from every member of what will hopefully be a finely honed, cohesive unit to win matches. But as with every team, some contributions are expected to be more seminal for the team. Let’s take a look at the five individuals who could shape India’s fortunes in the tournament:

#1 Sardar Singh

The Indian skipper 

India’s youngest hockey captain and veteran midfielder is the team’s catalyst. The Padma Shri awardee’s inconspicuous stewardship skills are nonetheless effective. Equally valuable are his talents as an injector, which is one of the triptych of hockey’s hallowed penalty corner play.

With drag-flicking specialist VR Raghunath, Sardar is one of India’s offensive lynchpins.