Hockey has been one of the most famous sports in India. There was a time when the Indian Hockey team was ruling all over the world with their performance. India won 8 Olympic gold medals between 1928 to 1980 along with the 1975 World Cup and was one of the toughest teams to beat at that time.
However, the Indian team hasn’t performed that well in the last few years but still remains among the top Hockey teams in the World. The credit for India’s dominance in the game of Hockey goes to the players who have given their best for the Indian team throughout the years. In this article, we will have a look at the top 10 greatest Hockey players India has ever produced.
Greatest Hockey Players in India
1. Major Dhyan Chand

Major Dhyan Chand is regarded as one of the greatest Hockey players in the World. He was one of the main reasons for India’s dominance in Hockey all over the World. You may have heard of the legendary cricketer Don Bradman, that’s the position Dhyan Chand holds in the world of Hockey. He made his mark during the 1928 Olympics where he scored 14 goals and played a pivotal role in India clinching the Gold Medal. He was the captain of the Indian team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and led India to the Gold Medal by leading from the front with 13 goals. India made it a hat-trick of the gold medal.
Dhyan Chand was a player who made people fall in love with Hockey and the Indian Hockey used to get immense support at that time. With more than 400 international goals and beyond 1000 goals in his entire career, Major Dhyan Chand went on to become the greatest Hockey player India ever had.
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2. Roop Singh

With Major Dhyan Chand being the star of the Indian Hockey, Roop was a player who kept scoring goals for India consistently. In his first-ever Olympics in 1932, Roop Singh turned out to be the star for India as he scored a mammoth 10 goals in the final against the USA and made India win the gold medal for the second consecutive time. He also played a crucial role in India’s Gold Medal triumph in the 1936 Berlin Olympics with nine goals and was the only Indian player to score in every game in that tournament. Roop Singh hasn’t been as popular as the other Indians but has always proved his value on the field.
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3. Balbir Singh Sr.

Balbir Singh Sr. was one of the key players of the Indian Hockey team after Independence. He was among the players who made India win the Gold Medal consecutively in 1948, 1952, and 1956. Balbir was known as the modern-day Dhyan Chand and is regarded as one of the greatest center-forwards in the game. He was a lethal player in front of the goals and would win the matches single-handedly for India. After his retirement, Balbir Singh served as the Manager and Chief Coach of the Indian team for the 1975 Hockey World Cup where India emerged as Champions.
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4. Udham Singh

Udham Singh is known to be one of the finest Hockey players India ever produced. He is among the players to win three Olympic Gold Medals and one Silver medal in his career. Udham was a solid rearguard and also had the ability to play as the inside forward. He was known for his fluency and fitness and one of the pivotal players of the Indian team that dominated in the 1950s.
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5. Leslie Claudius

Just like Udham Singh, Leslie Claudius is also among the players who won three Olympic Gold Medals and one Silver Medal. He is known as the best back-half in the history of the game. Claudius was the first player to represent India in four consecutive Olympics and win 100 caps. He has also been the captain of the Indian team and was full of energy and running. Claudius has always led from the front and held the back-line together.
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6. Ajit Pal Singh

Ajit Pal Singh is the former captain of the Indian Hockey team who led India to the World Cup triumph in 1975. He is regarded as among the extraordinary center-half players in the world. PAl Singh made his debut for India in 1960 and has represented the country in three Olympic competitions. However, the best moment of his career came when he won the Hockey World Cup with the Indian team in 1975.
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7. K D Singh Babu

Kunwar Digvijay Singh also known as K D Singh Babu was among the best players the Indian Hockey team has ever produced. He was a part of the Indian team that won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1948 and 1952. In 1960, Digvijay Singh was honoured with Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian Hockey.
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8. Shankar Lakshman

When we talk about the golden days of Indian Hockey, names like Major Dhyan Chand and Balbir Singh Sr. catch our attention first. However, the contribution of Shankar Lakshman in Indin Hockey is also second to none. He was the first goalkeeper to become the captain of the international Hockey team and led the Indian team that won the Gold Medal in the 1966 Asian Games. Lakshman was also honoured with Arjuna award and the Padma Shri by the Indian government.
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9. Dhanraj Pillay

Dhanraj Pillay has been one of the best Hockey players India ever had and is also regarded as a modern-day legend. He has also led the Indian team for a few years and was known for his sharp attack and extremely good forward. Pillay is the only players who has represented India in 4 Olympics (1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004), 4 World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002), 4 Asian Games (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002) and 4 Champions Trophies (1995, 1996, 2002 and 2003). Under his captaincy, India went on to win the 1998 Asian Games and 2003 Asian Cup.
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10. Mohammed Shahid

Mohammed Shahid is a former Indian Hockey player and is regarded as one of the best dribblers to ever play the game. He was a part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, the Silver Medal at the 1982 Asian Games, and the Bronze Medal at the 1986 Asian Games. Shahid was also honoured by the Indian government with Arjuna Award in 1980–1981 and Padma Shri in 1986.