Lancers ride on Hendrickx’s brace to clinch title

: Vedanta Kalinga Lancers rode on their Belgian drag-flicker Alexander Hendrickx’s brace to edge out Ranchi Royals 3-2 in an exciting final and emerged as the champions of the Hockey India League 2025-26 at the Kalinga Stadium here on Monday.

Last year’s sixth-place finisher Lancers’ victory elated a noisy and partisan house on the Republic Day as much as it thrilled their Aussie coach Jay Stacy on Australia Day. 

The winners took home ₹3 crore, while the runners-up got ₹ 2 crore.

In a contest between a team that scored the maximum number of goals and a side that conceded the least, the host, trusting its defence and counters, drew first blood early as Hendrickx converted their second penalty corner with a low flick.

Royals relied on their attacking instincts and levelled the scores. Yashdeep Siwach sent in a precise aerial ball from the left and Araijeet Singh Hundal brought it down to unleash a powerful shot and beat Krishan Pathak under the bar.

Lancers remained composed, valued their possession, switched flanks and successfully found holes in the Royals’ defence. They earned six short corners in quick succession and struck twice to ensure a two-goal cushion before half-time. Dilpreet Singh’s spectacular hit off a rebound restored Lancers’ lead before Hendrickx scored his second with a high and angled flick.

Lancers worked hard to display their solid defence and keep Royals at bay in the third quarter.

Pathak and Co. blunted several Royals attacks, including four short corners, before Tom Boon reduced the margin in the closing moments.

Royals played all their cards, including pulling out their goalkeeper in the last four minutes, in the tense final quarter but could not stop Lancers, who lost just one match in the HIL, again.

Amandeep Lakra’s brace helped Hyderabad Toofans record a come-from-behind 4-3 win over HIL GC in the third-place playoff.

The results: Final: Vedanta Kalinga Lancers 3 (Alex Hendrickx 4-pc, 26-pc, Dilpreet Singh 25-pc) bt Ranchi Royals 2 (Araijeet Singh Hundal 9, Tom Boon 59-pc); Third place: Hyderabad Toofans 4 (Nilakanta Sharma 24, Amandeep Lakra 30-pc, 53-pc, Jacob Anderson 33) bt HIL GC 3 (Sam Ward 14, 52, Kane Russell 55-pc).