Vedanta Kalinga Lancers secured their second consecutive win with a narrow 2-1 victory over Shrachi Bengal Tigers in the Men’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2025-26 at Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai.
Match Summary
- Goals:
- Alexander Hendrickx (52’) and Boby Singh Dhami (57’) scored for the Lancers.
- Affan Yousuf (56’) netted for the Tigers.
The match started with the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers dominating possession, marking 11 circle entries compared to just two for the Shrachi Bengal Tigers. Although the Lancers had a couple of goal attempts, forcing Tigers’ keeper James Carr into action, they couldn’t capitalize apart from one penalty corner in a goalless first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Tigers found their stride, making nine circle entries and four shots. However, they were thwarted by Lancers’ keeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, who delivered some outstanding saves. Despite the attacking efforts from both teams, the first half ended scoreless.
As the game progressed, Shrachi Bengal Tigers built on their momentum, pushing the Lancers back with intricate plays. Both teams showed defensive resilience, preventing any breakthrough. Heading into the final quarter, the score remained level.
James Carr continued to shine in goal for the Tigers at the start of the fourth quarter. However, the breakthrough came from Alexander Hendrickx’s drag-flick from a penalty corner in the 52nd minute, giving the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers the lead. The advantage was short-lived, as a long ball was controlled by Enrique Gonzalez, who set up Affan Yousuf for a tap-in to equalize just four minutes later.
The final stages of the match saw increased intensity. Following the equalizer, the Lancers quickly responded from a penalty corner, where the goalkeeper’s initial save fell perfectly for Boby Singh Dhami. From close range, he made no mistake, scoring the winner in the 57th minute to secure all three points for the Lancers. With this victory, the Lancers climbed to second place on the points table.