HIL 2025-26: Ranchi Royals beats Hyderabad Toofans, to face Kalinga Lancers in final

Ranchi Royals captain Tom Boon celebrated his 36th birthday with a magnificent hat-trick to defeat Hyderabad Toofans 3-2 in Qualifier 2, taking his side to the Hockey India League final at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday.

Royals will meet Vedanta Kalinga Lancers once again in the Republic Day title clash on Monday.

Toofans seized initiative by striking home in the fifth minute. The agile Rajinder Singh entered from the right and perfectly passed it on to an unmarked Jacob Anderson with a reverse stick from a crowded circle. The Australian completed the formalities.

As end-to-end hockey enhanced the excitement, Royals enterprising forwards’ first big attempt was wasted.

However, they did not have to wait much. Their second Penalty Corner (PC) got converted into a Penalty Stroke and Boon sent goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg the other way to draw parity in the 13th minute.

At the stroke of the first quarter, Royals earned another short corner and Boon’s deceptive, angled and low flick beat Danneberg on the right to put the green shirts ahead.

Both sides earned a short corner apiece in the second period but Toofans maintained pressure on the Royals post.

Early into the second half, Royals earned another PC through a successful video referral and Boon shot through the first rusher’s legs to find the mark expertly. He achieved his hat-trick and tightened the Royals’ grip over the contest.

With Michel Struthoff and Zach Wallace playing crucial roles, Toofans’ doggedness got them three Penalty Corners and Amandeep Ekka closed the gap with an effortless conversion.

Toofans, who missed Struthoff for most of the fourth quarter due to an injury, pulled out Dannerberg with more than three minutes left, but to no avail.

Published on Jan 25, 2026