Hockey India League 2024/25 Points Table: Updated HIL standings on January 1

Team Gonasika and the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers took the field for the second time in the Hockey India League in a crucial round-robin league match on Wednesday (January 1).

Both sides created chances aplenty and also won a flurry of penalty corners in the first half. However, they failed to open the scoring as Oliver Payne and Jamie Carr refused to be beaten in front of their respective goals.

Two back-to-back goals for either side immediately after the long breather opened up the contest considerably after Rupinder Pal Singh beat Suraj Karkera with a drag flick while Manpreet Singh restrored parity in a flash.

Rupinder was back in business scoring the winner off a penalty stroke in the final quarter to enable the Tigers to register their second straight win after defeating Team Gonasika 2-1 in the Hockey India League game in Rourkela.

Oliver Payne was called into action early as he thwarted Sukhjeet Singh in the second minute before stopping a Jugraj Singh drag flick with his pads.

Team Gonasika won their first penalty corner at the other end in the sixth minute. Araijeet Singhs Hundal's shot on target off a deflection was taken care of by Jamie Carr.

Oliver Payne used his pads to good effect a minute later clearing Jugraj Singh's drag flick before doing the same midway through the second quarter after the Tigers won two back-to-back penalty corners.

The ball was tantalisingly close to Struan Walker's stick as it made its way across the face of the Tigers' goal in the 25th minute.

Jamie Carr used his body to stop Struan Walker's drag flick just before half-time with neither team managing to break the goalless deadlock in the intriguing Hockey India League game.

Rupinder Pal Singh brought back memories of the past as he drove a lofted drag flick in between the postman and goalkeeper Suraj Karkera's legs to give his side the lead in the 31st minute.

Not for long though as Manpreet Singh was quick to pounce on a Struan Walker cross and slotted one into the back of the net a minute later to level things up for Gonasika.

Jamie Carr pulled off a couple of magnificent saves as an unmarked Struan Walker found time and space to sprint into the circle in the 36th minute.

The Tigers were awarded a penalty stroke in the 48th minute with Rupinder Pal Singh beating Oliver Payne who returned to guard the goal for the Gonasika's.

The Tigers had the ball in the net for a third time but the goal was disallowed as the Gonasika defenders paused expecting the umpire to award a free hit for a foot in the circle.

Mandeep Singh was brought down on the edge of the circle in the 59th minute but the umpire refused to penalise the Tigers.

The absence of Nikkin Thimmaiah did play a part in determining the outcome of the game with SV Sunil barely visible on the pitch for Team Gonasika despite being picked during the contest.

The Tigers find themselves on top of the Hockey India League points table following their win over Team Gonasika.

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Hockey India League: Updated Points Table Men's League Phase (Tuesday, December 31)

	PLAYED	WON	LOST	S/O WIN	S/O LOSS	GF	GA	GD	POINTS
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	2	2	0	0	0	5	3	+2	6
UP Rudras	1	1	0	0	0	3	1	+2	3
Delhi SG Pipers	2	0	0	1	1	4	4	0	3
Soorma Hockey Club	1	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	2
Hyderabad Toofans	2	0	1	1	0	4	5	-1	2
Tamil Nadu Dragons	1	0	0	0	1	1	1	-0	1
Team Gonasila	2	0	1	0	1	3	4	--1	1
Kalinga Lancers	1	0	1	0	0	1	3	-2	0

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Hockey India League 2024/25: Men's League Fixtures (Thursday, January 2)

Soorma Hockey Club vs UP Rudras, 8:15 pm IST (Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium)