India, March 1 -- With World Cup qualification on the line, new Indian women's hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne has brought in five changes to the 20-member squad that will take part in the FIH World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad from March 8 to 14.

But the biggest name missing from the team is seasoned goalkeeper Savita Punia who has made herself unavailable due to personal reasons. The former India skipper also skipped the Asia Cup in September 2025, the team's last international outing where the Salima Tete-led outfit finished with silver in Hangzhou.

Salima will continue to lead the team that will take on England, Scotland, South Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales and Austria for three qualification spots, with a possibility of a four...