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Kalinga Lancers to take on Punjab Warriors in HIL

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Hero-Hockey-India-League (HIL),

Mohali: Kalinga Lancers will take on last year’s runners-up Punjab Warriors in Hero Hockey India League (HIL) at the hockey stadium.

While the Lancers are upbeat after thrashing Ranchi Rays 6-3, the hosts will be looking forward to their first win post a draw against Dabang Mumbai in their opening match Friday.

Led by the very efficient Jamie Dwyer, the Barry Dancer-coached team Warriors will bring the best tricks of the trade into play when they step out on the turf to face the Lancers.

With International Hockey Federation (FIH) 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year Jaap Stockmann guarding the nets for them, the Warriors will be looking at creating maximum scoring opportunities and increasing the goal conversion rate to register their first win in the League.

“We have to concentrate every second and we can’t relax at all either on the first minute or the last minute of the match. This cost us three points in the last match yesterday,” five-time FIH Player of the Year Dwyer said.

The Australian also expects veteran drag-flicker Sandeep Singh, who scored two goals against Mumbai, to continue his good form.

“Sandeep is flicking good along with Christopher (Ciriello). He flicks and defends well and is doing a good job for the team and we are looking at him contributing in the same manner in the forthcoming matches.”

“According to me Punjab Warriors is the strongest team in the league. While they have not won the league title till now, but we still can’t take away the fact that they have some of the best players in their squad,” Lancers coach Jude Felix said.

Midfielder Vickram Kanth-led Lancers will be looking at testing themselves against a very strong team. While all eyes will again be on the young Gurjinder Singh to convert the penalty corners for his team, Lucas Vila and Ryan Archibald will aim to regularly penetrate the opponents’ circle.

Confident of a good show, Warriors head coach Barry Dancer said: “We are looking at improving ourselves. We have to adjust and respond better against the opposition and that is the challenge for our team. The objective from here is to better ourselves. We are confident that we will turn the game in our favour.”

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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia

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The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.

Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.

Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”

Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.

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