India continued their unbeaten campaign at the Men's Asian Champions Trophy 2026 with a 4-2 victory over Malaysia, courtesy of a spectacular hat-trick from captain Harmanpreet Singh. The win in Jalandhar on November 1 marked India's fourth consecutive victory in the tournament and strengthened their position ahead of the semi-finals.

Harmanpreet scored three times, converting two penalty corners and a penalty stroke, while Sukhjeet Singh added another goal to help the defending champions maintain their winning run. Malaysia fought back at different stages of the match but struggled to contain India's attacking pressure.

Harmanpreet Singh Scores Hat-Trick Against Malaysia

India made an early statement when Harmanpreet opened the scoring in the third minute with a powerful drag-flick from a penalty corner. Malaysia responded through Akhimullah Anuar, who found the net in the 25th minute to make it 1-1 before half-time.

The Indian captain restored his team's advantage shortly after the break, converting another penalty corner in the 33rd minute. India then increased the pressure, with Sukhjeet Singh scoring in the 43rd minute to give the hosts a two-goal cushion. The goal followed an attacking move initiated by Hardik Singh, with Sukhjeet finishing the opportunity to make it 3-1.

Harmanpreet completed his hat-trick in the 58th minute. The penalty stroke was awarded after a Malaysian defender stopped his goal-bound attempt with a foot on the line. The captain made no mistake from the spot, taking India's lead to 4-1.

Malaysia managed a late consolation goal through Shello Silverius in the final minute, but India held on to secure a 4-2 win.

FOUR WINS OUT OF FOUR! INDIA KEEP ROLLING! 🇮🇳🔥

The defending champions make it four victories on the trot with a 4-2 win over Malaysia in a thrilling top-of-the-table clash, as Captain Harmanpreet Singh leads from the front with a sensational hat-trick to power India to another… pic.twitter.com/DtaZ7dRQ9l

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 1, 2026

Harmanpreet Singh Leads Asian Champions Trophy Scoring Chart

Harmanpreet's three goals took his tournament tally to eight, making him the leading scorer at that stage of the competition. His performance once again underlined the importance of his penalty-corner conversions to India's attacking strategy.

The Indian captain has also been attracting attention for his pursuit of former hockey great Balbir Singh Sr's international goal record. However, differences in statistical records have made the exact milestone difficult to establish, and Harmanpreet has acknowledged uncertainty surrounding the figures.

India Secure Semi-Final Qualification

India had already booked their place in the semi-finals before facing Malaysia. Their earlier victories came against Bangladesh (13-0), China (5-2) and Japan (4-1), giving them four wins from four league matches.

Malaysia also qualified for the last four despite Sunday's defeat. Japan and South Korea joined the two teams in the semi-final line-up, while China and Bangladesh were eliminated from contention.

India were scheduled to play South Korea in their final league-stage fixture on November 2. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 4 in Mohali, followed by the bronze-medal match and final on November 5.

With Harmanpreet in prolific scoring form and India maintaining their unbeaten record, the defending champions will look to carry their momentum into the knockout stage as they pursue another Asian Champions Trophy title.