From Fortress Bhubaneswar to Final Whistle Drama: Kalinga Lancers Edge Ranchi Royals to Lift HIL 2026 Title

Kalinga Lancers handed Ranchi Royals a narrow 32 goal win at the last part of the concluding game in the Men’s Hockey India League (HIL) in a thrilling finish by defeating them 3-2 within their home set up in Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar on January 26, 2026, a moment to cherish. It became the second win in their maiden championship victory in 2017 and the finishing point of a superior 2025 26 season of the Odisha-based franchise. It was the final hero, Belgian star Alexander Hendrickx, who got two goals in the 4th and 27th minutes, and Dilpreet Singh scored the third goal in the 25th minute, which gave a definite advantage to the Lancers. Goals by Araajeet Singh Hundal in the 9th minute and late Joy by Tom Boon in the 59th minute helped Ranchi Royal to fight back, but the team was not lucky as they could not succeed in playing extra time. The Lancers title run was anchored on defensive stability with only 11 goals being conceded during the tournament, the best in the league. Hendrickx emerged the best scorer in the franchise having scored 12 goals. The prize money was of 3 crores to Kalinga Lancers in their championship win, and 2 crores to runners-up Ranchi Royals.

What explains Kalinga Lancers’ dominance this season?

The success of Kalinga Lancers in the 2025-26 season of the Hockey India league was founded on the unusual combination of defensive discipline, set-piece execution, and a team bond which helped them to end up being number one in the league standings with only one defeat in the entire league. The Odisha based franchise developed their success based on a firm defensive system where they conceded only 11 goals throughout the tournament- the lowest record in the league. Timely saves by goalkeepers Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Jed Snowden were very important as they rescued the team on numerous occasions when we found ourselves in difficult situations and also they were the ones who gave the rest of the team confidence in the backline. In the offensive, the Lancers scored well on penalty corners, with the highest rate in the competition of 31.8 per cent, the Belgian drag-flick expert, Alexander Hendrickx, being the best. Hendrickx was also the highest goal scorer in the team with 12 goals in nine games and is a consistent performer at the right time. Head coach Jay Stacy and captain Arthur Van Doren created an extremely close unit despite a brief build-up of four weeks which resorted to communicating, structuring, and mental strength as opposed to reactive defending. The title victory of the Lancers was made when they played on their own field at Kalinga Hockey Stadium where the fan support gave them added spirit and calmness during the high stakes matches.

Why did Ranchi Royals fall short despite a late comeback?

Ranchi Royals narrowly lost the Hockey India League final despite a late charge, because missed opportunities and excellent goalkeeping by Kalinga Lancers was the final decisive factor. The Royals had earlier missed a number of penalty corners in the match, they could only convert one of the seven chances, and this failure kept halting their momentum. The first rusher was able to block a decisive move by Captain Tom Boon who had no access to key drag-flicks. At the opposite end, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, a goalkeeper of Lancers, had a match-winning performance, making a series of vital saves against Boon, Sam Lane and Nilam Sanjeep Xess, with one mind-blowing save in the 54th minute. The match practically concluded in the second quarter, as Kalinga Lancers began to attack twice in succession to put themselves ahead 3-1 in the first half. Boon managed to pull one of them back in the 59th minute, but time ran out before the Royals could finish the comeback.