Bhubaneswar: In a night that will be remembered for its drama, passion and intensity, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers defeated Ranchi Royals 3-2 in a thrilling Men’s Hero Hockey India League (HIL) final at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium on Monday. Playing in front of a sell-out home crowd, the Lancers held their nerve in the final moments to win the prestigious HIL Trophy after an unforgettable battle.
The goals for the champions were scored by Alexander Hendrickx, who scored twice in the 4th and 27th minutes, and Dilpreet Singh, who scored the goal in the 25th minute. Ranchi Royals fought bravely till the final whistle. Araijeet Singh Hundal scored in the 9th minute and captain Tom Boon equalized late in the 59th minute but it was not enough to deny the hosts their moment of glory.
The final started at a fast pace, with both teams showing a clear intention to dominate early on. The participants in the circle were thick and fast as neither side seemed willing to sit back. The breakthrough came in the fourth minute when Vedanta Kalinga Lancers earned two consecutive penalty corners. Alexander Hendrickx stepped up and unleashed a thunderous dragflick that flew past the Ranchi Royals goalkeeper and sent the home crowd into a jubilant mood.
However, the Royals responded almost immediately. In the ninth minute, Yashdeep Siwach provided a moment of brilliance by lofting the ball from the left side to change the game. Araijeet Singh Hundal had everything perfectly understood, controlled the ball with a great first touch and fired a powerful finish into the goal to restore parity.
The second quarter proved to be crucial as the Lancers turned the game in their favor. The Ranchi Royals showed attacking spirit but were pushed deep as the Lancers received a series of penalty corners. In the 25th minute, Suraj Karkera was able to parry Hendrickx’s drag flick, but Dilpreet Singh reacted sharply and used the rebound to make it 2-1.
Just two minutes later, the stadium exploded again. Another penalty corner was awarded and this time Hendrickx made no mistake, firing a fierce drag flick into the top right corner to give the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers a commanding 3-1 lead at half-time.
The third quarter largely belonged to Ranchi Royals, who controlled possession and pushed forward tirelessly. They received a penalty corner in the 36th minute, but Tom Boon’s shot was bravely blocked by the first rusher. The pressure continued as the Royals attacked from both flanks, but the Lancers’ defense held firm. In the 45th minute, Hundal came agonizingly close when the ball landed nicely in front of the goal, but goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak made a strong save.
In the last quarter, Ranchi Royals threw everything into attack. Pathak proved to be the hero of the night by making three outstanding saves from Sam Lane, Tom Boon and Nilam Sanjeep Xess. His stick save in the 54th minute drew loud applause and kept the Lancers firmly in control.
The Royals finally made their breakthrough with just a minute to go when Tom Boon converted a drag flick from deep after a penalty corner in the 59th minute. Despite a frantic push in the final seconds, the equalizer failed to materialize and the Lancers held on to secure a memorable 3-2 win.
The triumph came with big rewards as the Hockey India League announced a prize fund of ₹3 crore for champions Vedanta Kalinga Lancers. Ranchi Royals received ₹2 crore as runners-up while Hyderabad Toofans bagged ₹1 crore after defeating HIL GC earlier in the day to finish third.
Individual honors were also awarded. HIL GC received the Fair Play Award. Tamil Nadu Dragons goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh was adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tournament while HIL GC’s Talem Priyobarta won the Upcoming Player award with both earning ₹10 lakh each. Ranchi Royals captain Tom Boon finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 19 goals and received ₹10 lakh, while Hyderabad Toofans’ Amandeep Lakra was crowned the hero player of the tournament and received ₹20 lakh.
For the home fans in Bhubaneswar, it was a perfect evening – full of pride, emotions and a championship triumph that will be remembered for years to come.




