Hockey India League 2025-26: Russell, Hardik power HIL Governing Council to 3-2 win over SG Pipers

Kane Russell got the first hat-trick of Hockey India League but it was Hardik Singh’s jaw-dropping stickwork that allowed HIL Governing Council to pip SG Pipers 3-2 on Monday at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai.

With both sides deadlocked in the final minute, Hardik embarked on a lengthy dribble from his own half, evaded three markers, and drew a stick-check past the 25-yard line from the fourth who attempted to halt him. Russell converted from the corner, his third of the kind on the night, to spoil Pipers’ plans at stealing the game in a shootout.

Pipers had its wasteful conversion to blame for the slip. It was the side that breached the circle first in the fourth minute following a close-knit sequence between Dilraj Singh and Aditya Lalage that won them a corner. Dilraj played a no-look tweener to find Lalage en route to the goal. GC defenders crowded the forward to cover the angle at goal but only at the cost of a corner.

Pipers deployed Tomas Domene instead of Indian veteran Rupinder Pal Singh for the set piece. The Argentine was on target but denied by goalkeeper James Mazarelo.

GC got its first real chance only in the 10th minute when Surender Kumar’s injection from the 25-yards found its way to the far post, where an incoming Simon Yorston sprayed it wide.

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GC’s Sam Ward then botched up his dragflick in the 12th minute, allowing Pipers to launch a swift three-touch counter. Once Rohit had hold of the ball in the circle, he relayed it to Ky Willott on the right wing at the half-way line. Willott slapped the ball at Domene in the circle, who delayed his tomahawk and ended up miscuing it over the goal.

As far as tomahawks go, GC’s Sudeep Chirmako showed how to hit one off the middle in the 16th minute, missing only due to a last-moment deflection off a Pipers stick.

Rupinder’s fluffed aerial attempt to find a teammate opened up another chance for GC in the 23rd minute. Tanguy Cosyns passed to Ajeet Yadav in the circle, but the forward’s shot lacked venom and made for a comfortable save.

Ajeet launched another tomahawk in the 27th minute of Hardik’s pass, this time forcing a save from Tomas Santiago at the top-left corner of goal.

With GC overloading its left flank and sending players forwards, Jarmanpreet Singh exploited space at the back and sent an aerial in search of Lalage. The forward brought it down on the run, bypassed three defenders, and ventured into the circle to force a save from Mazarelo.

While a goal eluded the teams the entire first half, both got on the scoresheet within five minutes post the restart. In the first minute, Willott got Pipers ahead by beating the keeper on an incoming ball and reverse-scooping it into the net to beat his dive.

Just four minutes later, Ward’s shot at goal came off a defender’s foot, allowing Russell to bury his dragflick through the middle and level scores. That GC went ahead was due to a heedless error by Jarmanpreet, who messed up a tomahawk inside his own circle and was called for dangerous play.

Russell’s direction with his dragflick did not change, neither did the outcome as GC opened up a lead in the 35th minute.

Mazarelo did his best to preserve the advantage for GC in the fourth period with his slew of saves off four successive penalty corners, all to his left. But Pipers made the breach on the fifth try after Dilraj chanced upon a deflected dragflick and scooped it for an equaliser.

With under a minute left to the final hooter, Pipers might have been planning its shootout lineup. But Hardik still had the legs for a final foray, one that decided the game and soiled Pipers’ plans.

Published on Jan 05, 2026