Hockey India League 2024/25: Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers defeats Hyderabad Toofans 3-2, Soorma HC edges past Tamil Nadu Dragons in shootout

Hockey India League 2024/25: Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers defeats Hyderabad Toofans 3-2, Soorma HC edges past Tamil Nadu Dragons in shootout

Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers (SRBT) had bet big on its young forwards while building the team and they did not disappoint as the team began its Hockey India League journey with a 3-2 win against Hyderabad Toofans on Sunday.

Erratic and inconsistent, Hyderabad was forced to play catch-up all through with the team appearing to be still finding its connections and rhythm. An early goal by SRBT – a penalty corner conversion by Jugraj Singh – helped the team settle and for large parts, it was clearly the better side on the field.

Hyderabad’s trump card – Gonzalo Peillat, the most expensive overseas player at the auctions – had an off day, ineffective with his drag-flicks and out of form in the defence. Hyderabad earned nine PCs but could convert only one, a variation that saw Arthur de Sloover deflect Peillat’s shot in the final minutes of the game. The Hyderabad defence, in fact, left a lot to be desired with huge gaps that were well exploited by the SRBT forwards.

Sukhjeet Singh did so in the 20th minute and an unmarked Affan Yousuf made it 3-0 for SRBT in the 36th, running in from the left and smashing in from the top of circle past goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya and a non-existent defence. The SRBT defence was also effective in thwarting the few times Hyderabad managed to take a shot at the goal with Irish goalkeeper Jamie Carr bringing off some brilliant saves, including a couple of back-to-back ones and a penalty stroke from Maico Casella in the 24th minute.

The Hyderabad strikers barely managed to find openings and the one time they did, Rohit Singh’s well-timed pass from the baseline was deflected in by Timothy Daniel for the team’s first goal in the 41st minute. It wasn’t enough.

Later in the evening, Soorma HC edged past Tamil Nadu Dragons in the shootout for its first point of the competition. Led by two of India’s best defenders in Harmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas, Soorma and Dragons respectively allowed little space inside the circle to the opposition.

The Australian frontline of Blake Govers, Nathan Ephraums and Tom Craig gave Dragons an edge but missed chances cost them. Matched even and scoreless for most of the game, Dragons finally managed to get one through, Ephraums tapping in a rebound after Jip Janssen’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch. Five minutes later, Soorma’s fourth PC saw Jeremy Hayward’s shot deflected in by Gurjant Singh to level scores 1-1.