Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: 5 midfielders to watch out for

#3 Manpreet Singh (India)

Can Manpreet withstand the pressure of expectations?

At the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, the Indian captain attempted, in vain, to steady the ship amidst choppy waters, while the midfield seemed to crumble around him.

Rid of the burdens of captaincy and playing alongside his mentor Sardar Singh, at the Champions Trophy, the former captain appeared infinitely more solid and composed.

Back at the helm following India's disastrous finish at the Asian Games, Manpreet Singh finds himself in the hot seat yet again. The ever-reliable midfielder absorbed the pressures of captaincy admirably at the Asian Champions Trophy last month and sizzled on the pitch as well.

Manpreet's spectacular solo effort to outrun and sidestep Ali Shaan, followed by his well-directed low flick to the extreme right to beat goalie Imran Butt inspired the Indians to up the ante, after trailing against Pakistan at Muscat.

Yet, the World Cup is another stage altogether - and a World Cup at home, under the unflinching gaze of a million hopeful Indian fans will be an acid test for Manpreet's resolve and character.

Wilting under pressure, in big matches, has been the bane of the immensely-talented Indian side. In the semifinal of the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, the Indian skipper failed to control a pass and misdirected the ball to a New Zealand player which allowed Stephen Jenness to give the Black Sticks a 2-0 lead as early as the 13th minute.

The error at Gold Coast was but a small speck in an otherwise distinguished and unblemished career for the Arjuna Awardee, and if Manpreet can calm the nerves of his fellow midfielders and inspire the youngsters to rise to the occasion at Bhubaneswar, the 26-year old from Mithapur may well attain legendary status in three weeks' time.