Men's HIL: Hyderabad Toofans decimate Bengal Tigers

Hyderabad Toofans kicked off the Bhubaneswar leg of the 2026 Men’s Hockey India League (HIL) with a  dominant 6-0 victory over Bengal Tigers on Saturday.

Zachary Wallace (2', 17', 30') and Tim Brand (12', 39', 46') scored hattricks for Hyderabad Toofans.

Hyderabad Toofans opened the scoring in the second minute of the first quarter itself as Talwinder Singh did well to hold and protect the ball inside the circle and pass it on to Zachary Wallace (2') in front of goal, who finished it into the net through the goalkeeper's legs.

In the seventh minute, Sukhjeet Singh won a penalty corner for Shrachi Bengal Tigers but Tom Grambusch's dragflick went inches away from the goal.

The very next minute, Tigers won another penalty corner and this time, Tom Grambusch's attempt was saved by Hyderabad Toofans goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg.

In the 12th minute, Hyderabad Toofans won their first penalty corner of the evening and although Amandeep Lakra's dragflick was saved initially by the Tigers, Tim Brand (12') was quick to react on the rebound and slotted the ball into the net to extend the lead.

Hyderabad Toofans continued their scoring streak in the second quarter as Zachary Wallace was given too much time and space in the 16th minute as he dribbled down the middle into the circle and unleashed a low-driven shot, to sneak the ball past the goalkeeper and into the bottom-right corner of the goal.

In the 19th minute, Abhishek created a good opportunity for Shrachi Bengal Tigers as he took a strong shot on goal but it was stopped by Hyderabad Toofans' goalkeeper Bikramjit Singh.

Moments later, the Tigers came close again as Ketan Kushwaha played a strong pass into the circle from the left flank but Abhishek's deflection towards goal went narrowly wide off-target.

Tigers were creating good chances in the second quarter but the Toofans were resilient with their defending.

With 20 seconds left in the first half, Hyderabad Toofans found another goal, this time Zachary Wallace dribbled from the right flank and struck the ball towards goal as it took a deflection and went over the Tigers' goalkeeper.

The third quarter started off with a tight contest between the two sides, however, it didn't take long for Hyderabad Toofans to score their fifth goal.

In the 39th minute, Arshdeep Singh showed incredible 3D skills along the baseline as he beat multiple defenders and played it in the centre of the circle for Tim Brand (39') who slotted the ball into the goalpost with ease.

In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Hyderabad Toofans scored their sixth goal courtesy of Tim Brand (46') again as he completed his hattrick. Jacob Anderson took the initial shot on goal and although it was saved by the Tigers' goalkeeper, Tim Brand pounced on the rebound again and finished the ball into the net.

Bengal Tigers won back-to-back penalty corners towards the end of the game but they couldn't break the Toofans' defence who were on top of their game over the four quarters.

Kalinga Lancers continue winning run

In the day’s other fixture, table-toppers Vedanta Kalinga Lancers maintained their perfect run with a commanding 6-1 victory over SG Pipers, extending their winning streak to five matches.

The Lancers set the tone early through Cooper Burns and Craig Marais, establishing a two-goal cushion inside the opening quarter. SG Pipers briefly responded through KY Williot, but that proved to be their only breakthrough on the night. Burns struck again before halftime, while goalkeeper Krishan Pathak produced a series of crucial saves to keep the Pipers at bay.

Alexander Hendrickx’s penalty corner conversion early in the third quarter further tightened the Lancers’ grip on the match. Angad Singh and Hendrickx added late goals in the final quarter to complete a dominant display. Boby Singh Dhami was named Player of the Match for his influential playmaking role in midfield.

With these results, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers remain clear at the top of the standings, while Hyderabad Toofans’ emphatic win sends a strong statement as the Bhubaneswar leg of the league gathers momentum.