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India Women will clash against New Zealand Women in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier game at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi on January 14, Sunday.
Team India, led by Savita Punia, had a poor outing against USA Women, losing by 0-1 in their initial game of the competition. With New Zealand being a tough opponent, it's going to be difficult for India to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Abigail Tamer was the lone goal-scorer for the USA Women in the first minute of the second quarter, while it was a game of missed penalty corners, missed passes, and poor all-round gameplay.
New Zealand Women started their campaign with a dominating win over Italy Women, by 3-0. Frances Davies bagged a brace off two penalty corners, while Stephanie Dickins scored the third with a direct attempt off a short corner as the Black Sticks bagged a comprehensive win. They would be aiming to continue their winning momentum when they take on the Women In Blue.
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at the three players you can pick as captain or vice-captain for IND-W vs NZ-W FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Match.
#3 Stephanie Dickins (NZ-W) - 9 credits
Black Sticks regular defender Stephanie Dickins is one of the few players who control the game well from the back and has a powerful skill set. Notably, she is the side's number one drag-flicker.
As a 64-time capped New Zealander, she has represented her nation at both the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. She has six goals in her international career and is one of the players to watch out for in this big game.
#2 Olivia Merry (NZ-W) - 9.5 credits
The Black Sticks skipper and striker Olivia Merry holds the record of 127 goals for New Zealand. She has a total of 277 caps for her international side and would be aiming to have a great game against struggling India Women.
Though NZ finished in the fourth spot in the Commonwealth Games and missed out on a medal, Merry would be hoping to make it big in this encounter and find a place in the Paris Olympics.
#1 Navneet Kaur (IND-W) - 9.5 credits
Team India's forward Navneet Kaur is one of the most reliable players to have in your fantasy XI. She played key roles in India's Tokyo Olympics 2020 journey and helped India win the FIH series finals 2019.
Team India finished with the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022 and Navneet played an important role in the competition. In 148 international games, she has netted on 46 instances, making her the highest goal scorer among the current active Indian players.
