Women’s HIL 2025-26: Gorzelany scores lone goal as Shrachi Bengal Tigers beats Ranchi Royals

After a 5-0 shellacking in the reverse leg, the Shrachi Bengal Tigers would have been waiting for the opportunity to exact revenge on the Ranchi Royals.

And on Sunday, the occasion presented itself as the Tigers managed to eke out a 1-0 win in the eighth Women’s Hockey India League fixture of the 2025-26 season at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi.

Perhaps the strategy of a fourth new captain in as many matches worked. Sushila Chanu wore the captain’s hat in the first 3 PM fixture of the league; she is the latest addition to the list after Vandana Katariya, Agustina Gorzelany, and Valentina Raposo. Or it had to be the sheer brilliance of Gorzelany, the tournament’s highest goalscorer, with four against her name after this fixture.

The video umpire was made to work for her keep with four referrals inside the first quarter. Although each of those decisions went in favour of the home side and the Royals ended up winning five Penalty Corners (PC) in the stop-start first quarter, the Tigers’ resolute defence ensured the deadlock wasn’t broken.

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Meanwhile, a controversial call saw Nikki Pradhan and Co. being denied a Penalty Stroke despite an on-target shot catching Valentina Raposo’s toe behind Tigers’ goalkeeper Jennifer Rizzo.

From the second quarter, the Tigers had a sudden glow-up.

Lalremsiami almost got on the board, slipping away from her marker with under a minute remaining in the first half. But the Royals’ second ‘keeper, Madhuri Kindo, forced the sprightly Indian forward wide in a 1v1 scenario.

It was eventually left to Gorzelany to do the noble deed once again. The Argentine dragflick specialist justified her price tag — she is the most expensive signing at Rs. 42 lakh — getting the Tigers the much-needed breakthrough from a run-of-the-mill PC in the third quarter.

Published on Jan 04, 2026