The Indian juniors will square off against defending champions Germany in the semifinal of the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai on Sunday (December 7). Two-time champions India last won the tournament back in 2016, while Germany is by far the most successful team in the history of the Junior Hockey World Cup, having triumphed a whopping seven times.It was always going to be interesting to witness how the Indian Colts would cope with the pressure of the knockouts after a relatively hassle-free route to the quarterfinals.Following the withdrawal of arch-rivals Pakistan (who were pooled alongside India), PR Sreejesh's chargers eased past Oman, Chile, and Switzerland, slotting in 29 goals and conceding none.After emerging as the top-ranked team among all six pools in the preliminaries, the Indians faced Belgium in the quarterfinals. In a contest that will be remembered for a long time to come, the home side came from behind to level things up with the Belgians before veering ahead with a 2-1 lead soon after.An equaliser at the death from the visitors forced a shoot-out with the hosts edging Belgium 4-3, much to the delight of the Indian hockey fraternity.Interestingly, the Germans, too, advanced to the semifinals via the shootout route (3-1) after having been held to a 2-2 draw in regulation time by a gritty French side in the quarterfinals.In the pool stages, the Germans steamrolled their way past South Africa, Ireland and Canada scoring a total of 15 goals while conceding a lone goal against the Irish.Captain Ben Hasbach has been among the goals for Germany, having scored four thus far, including three from open play against Canada. Dilraj Singh and Manmeet Singh are the leading goal scorers for India ahead of the semifinal with five goals apiece.Rohit will need to be at his best for the Indians in the semifinals, much like he was in the quarters. Bikramjit Singh and Princedeep Singh in goal are certain to face their toughest challenge of the World Cup in the semifinals. However, the win against Belgium will have taken the confidence of the custodians to a whole new level.Sticking to the game plan amid the hubbub of the vociferous home crowd will be vital for the Indians if they are to prevail against the mighty Germans in the big game.Watching the action from his vantage point up in the stands, PR Sreejesh is on the cusp of creating history as a coach, but will need to outwit his German counterpart Mirko Stenzel on Sunday.India vs Germany, FIH Junior Hockey World Cup, Match detailsMatch Details: India vs Germany, Semifinal, FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2025Date & Time: Sunday, December 7, 2025, 8:00 PM ISTVenue: Chennai, IndiaWhere to watch FIH Junior Hockey World Cup matches in India?The FIH Junior Hockey World Cup will be livestreamed on JioHotstar and Watch.Hockey and broadcast on Star Sports Select.