One of the major reasons for Ranchi Rhinos winning the inaugural edition of the Hockey India League last season was their impeccable home form. They made the Astroturf Stadium their fortress, losing just two matches in the entire campaign and then asserted their supremacy on home turf in the semifinal and final.
Naturally, they felt confident going into their season two opener at home despite the absence of their influential skipper Moritz Fuerste. However, to the disappointment of a packed crowd, the Gregg Clark-coached side began its title defence with a shock 3-2 loss to Uttar Pradesh Wizards on Sunday.
It was always going to be interesting to see how the Rhinos would react to the attention they received going into this tie. And they began well. Mandeep Singh, who had scored 10 goals in the inaugural HIL, carried on his fine form from last season, putting his team ahead with an opportunistic strike in the fourth minute. However, his strike was cancelled out by striker Nikkin Thimmaiah in the ninth minute. Read more..
Source: Sports News
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