India’s winning streak at the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 came to a halt on Wednesday as Korea held them to a 2-2 draw in their opening Super 4s encounter in Rajgir.

Hardik Singh (8’) gave India an early lead with a brilliant solo effort, but Korea struck back quickly. Jihun Yang (12’) converted a penalty stroke before Hyeon Hong Kim (14’) scored from a penalty corner to hand Korea the advantage. India equalised in the final quarter when Mandeep Singh (53’) finished off a clever pass from Sukhjeet Singh.

Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances, India failed to find the winner, with the Korean defence and goalkeeper standing firm. Captain Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek both came close, while Jugraj Singh saw his penalty corner attempt denied.

The rain-delayed match saw India, the top-ranked team in the tournament, struggle against Korea’s disciplined backline despite earning several penalty corners. A late push from both sides, including set-piece opportunities, ended without success as the points were shared.

In the other Super 4s fixture, Malaysia continued their unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory over China, extending their perfect record in the competition. Earlier in the 5th–6th place playoff, Japan defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0 thanks to a brace from Shinohara Ryosuke.

With the draw, India earned one point after finishing the league stage with three consecutive wins. They now face a crucial clash against Malaysia in their next Super 4s match on Thursday.

The Asia Cup Rajgir 2025 continues to shape up as a competitive contest, with India needing sharper finishing and greater efficiency from set pieces to stay on course for the title.