Manisha Chauhan didn't want to fall behind as she watched fellow drag flicker Deepika Sehrawat score five goals by punching in goal after goal. In addition, the 25-year-old scored twice in the final five minutes of the Indian women's hockey team's 13-0 victory over Thailand in Rajgir on Friday.

Playing in just her sixth Indian international match, Manisha scored two goals, also the first in her career. The goals were a huge confidence boost for the midfielder, who debuted in May, although they came against Thailand, the lowest-ranked team in the Asian Champions Trophy and global No. 29.

Manisha is now regarded as the team's second battery behind Deepika in penalty corners (PC), which is crucial to head coach Harendra Singh's strategy of assembling a strong squad of drag flickers with the 2028 Summer Olympics in mind.

Manisha, who is from Uttarakhand, rose swiftly through the ranks of the home circuit thanks to her talents in aerial balls and drag flicks. "My passing abilities and defensive tackling are crucial because I also play in the midfield," Manisha says.