Hockey India's CWG plan rescued by Asia Cup, but what does the future hold in store for back-from-retirement Rupinder, Sunil and Birendra?

Rupinder Pal Singh wanted to retire at the peak of his career. He did so. In September last year, after India's Tokyo heist to reclaim the long lost position on the Olympic hockey podium, the drag-flicker made the call. "That was always the plan," he said, announcing his retirement a month after India's bronze-medal finish. But he didn't know that the 'ultimate planner', the almighty, had written another chapter in the Faridkot boy's hockey life. Perhaps Rupinder has kept it for later, maybe for his autobiography, to publicly reveal whether he was called back out of retirement or took a voluntary decision; but he would have never thought that he would come back and lead the Indian team in a tournament as skipper. The 31-year-old veteran, Bob or Bobby to family and friends, will captain the Indian team at the Asia Cup beginning later this month.

Rupinder Pal Singh. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)Rupinder's return, along with that of Birendra Lakra and SV Sunil -- both of whom announced their retirements almost simultaneously with Rupinder, coincided with Hockey India's plans to send a 'B' team to the Commonwealth Games. It was a move made to protect the first-team players from burnout and/or injury ahead of the more important Asian Games. A list of India 'B' players was thus announced, with Rupinder, Sunil and Lakra part of the squad that had former captain Sardar Singh as coach. But Covid came back into the equation and the worsening pandemic numbers in China forced the Hangzhou Asian Games to be postponed. Hockey India's plans were now in need of some chess-like moves. They had two squads -- A and B, with one tournament, the CWG. But the Asia Cup came to the federation's rescue, and they found a way to