Hockey India League: Final - Hyderabad Toofans vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, where to watch, preview, prediction, and team news

The final of the sixth edition of the Hockey India League will witness the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers taking on Hyderabad Toofans in Rourkela on Saturday (February 1).

Both teams made it to the big game in contrasting fashion. While the Bengal Tigers edged Tamil Nadu Dragons 2-2 (6-5) in sudden death, the Toofans trounced Soorma Hockey Club 3-1.

Tamil Nadu Dragons will play Soorma Hockey Club in the bronze-medal game of the Hockey India League in the first match of the evening.

A last-minute consolation goal came the way of the Soormas who were completely undone in the face of an onslaught launched by Pasha Gademan's side in the second semifinal on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Dragons paid the price for not making the most of a 10-minute yellow card picked up Sebastien Dockier, preferring to hang on to a 2-1 lead instead of looking to seal the deal against the Bengal Tigers.

If the semifinal performances are anything to go by, the Hyderabad Toofans have a distinct edge going into Saturday's final. The Toofans, who began the tournament with Gonzalo Peillat as their best bet from the top of the circle, have now discovered that Amandeep Lakra can be just as effective.

Jacob Anderson and Shilanand Lakra looked dangerous while on the attack for the Toofans in Friday's game. Colin Batch's team who scraped through in the semifinals will need to find a way to thwart the Hyderabad side who they beat 3-2 over a month ago in the round-robin stage of the tournament.

Interestingly, Jugraj Singh failed to add to his tally of 9 goals for the Bengal side on Friday with the Tigers scoring from open play twice in the game against the Dragons.

Getting past Bikramjit Singh who was outstanding for the Toofans in the semifinal will not be easy for Colin Batch's side.

Hyderabad Toofans vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers Hockey India League match details

Match Details: Hyderabad Toofans vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, League Match, Hockey India League 2024

Date & Time: Saturday, February 1, 2025, 8:15 PM IST

Venue: Rourkela, India

Hyderabad Toofans vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers: Full Squads

Hyderabad Toofans

Goalkeepers: Vikas Dahiya, Dominic Dixon, Bikramjit Singh

Defenders: Ravindra Akshay Avhad, Mukul Sharma, Amandeep Lakra, Devinder Walmiki, Gonzalo Peillat, Arthur de Sloover, Jacob Anderson, Rajawat Sundram Singh

Midfielders: Zachary Wallace, Rajinder Singh, Darshan Vibhav Gawkar, Nic Woods, Aakib Rahim Sayyed, Maico Casella, Sumit, Nilakanta Sharma

Forwards: Timothy Daniel, Shilanand Lakra, Rohit Singh, Talwinder Singh, Arshdeep Singh

Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers

Goalkeepers: Atal Dev Singh, Jamie Carr, Ali Khan

Defenders: Hayden Beltz, Gauthier Boccard, Jasjit Singh Kular, Rupinder Pal Singh, Sebastien Dockier, Jugraj Singh

Midfielders: Sean Findlay, Yogesh Malik Singh, Jaskaran Singh, Pardeep Mor, Affan Yousif, Tim Cross, Pradhan Poovanna, Atul Deep, Pardeep Singh Sandhu, Luwang Ingalemba

Forwards: Florent van Aubel, Sam Lane, Gursewak Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek

Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Hyderabad Toofans: Prediction

Gonzalo Peillat may well be saving his best for the last after not being able to score in the semifinal. The Tigers' defense is certain to be kept busy by Pasha Gademan's side who will need to ensure that Jugraj Singh does not get too many chances to score from penalty corners.

Score Prediction: Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers 2 - 3 Hyderabad Toofans

Where to watch Hockey India League 2024 matches in India?

Matches of the Hockey India League 2024 will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and Doordarshan and streamed live on SonyLiv and Waves.