India vs Belgium, where to watch, preview, prediction and team news

The second day of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025 is expected to witness a massive clash between two of the best teams in the world of hockey. The powerful Belgian Red Lions will take on India in a league match in the annual invitational tournament on Monday (November 24) at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.

Under Shane McLeod, who led the Red Lions to World Cup gold in 2018, followed by Olympic gold in 2021, Belgium are the highest-ranked team in the current tournament.

Despite the absence of Tom Boone, Belgium have several strong players in the squad who are capable of giving the young Indian team a trial run in their second pool match.

Craig Fulton’s side beat the plucky Korean side 1-0 in their rain-delayed opener, which finished at midnight local time, and they will need to recover well enough to overcome the mighty Belgians.

Meanwhile, Belgium were briefly stunned by the Canadians, who defended aggressively before taking the lead on a penalty kick just before halftime. Despite putting together several attacks, the former world champions faltered close to the goal while some exceptional defense and goalkeeping denied them.

A late goal enabled the Belgians to secure an equalizer and a vital point, but needless to say, MacLeod’s side will be looking to put things right when they take on India.

Unlike the Indians, who rested Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera during the tournament, the Belgian Fortress is guarded by veteran goalkeeper Vincent Vanach alongside Loic van Doren.

Alexander Hendricks, who failed to find the back of the net against Canada, has had a dismal record against the Indians in the past. Arthur van Doren is the captain of the team in Ipoh with the likes of Arthur De Slover, Victor Vignes and Nicolas de Kerpel in the ranks.

The absence of several key Indian players like Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh gives the Belgians a clear advantage heading into the competition, but Craig Fulton will be keen to justify his team’s selection for the Azlan Shah Trophy.

India vs Belgium, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025, match details

Match details: India vs Belgium, league match, Azlan Shah Trophy 2025

Date and time: Monday 24 November 2025, 3:30 PM IST

place: Ipoh, Malaysia

India vs Belgium: Azlan Shah Trophy Prediction

Scoring from penalties was not easy for either India or Belgium in their opening match, but the versatility of Alexander Hendricks cannot be ignored. The Indian defense will need to ensure they do not concede too many short corner kicks while not exposing Pawan and Mohith to the rampaging Belgian forwards. If Abhishek, Sukhjit Singh and Dilpreet Singh can combine well enough in the danger zone, the Indians have a good chance of emerging victorious in what promises to be a banger for the competition.

Predicting the outcome: India 3 – 2 Belgium

Where to watch Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025 matches in India?

Azlan Shah Cup 2025 will be streamed live on the Fancode app and website in India.