Raipur, October 2026: Sanskardhani Strikers defeated NyaydhanI Knights 6-3 to become the first team to qualify for the final of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League. The first semi-final, played on Saturday, was one of the most exciting encounters of the tournament, with both sides displaying impressive skills and refusing to give up. However, the underdogs, Strikers, eventually emerged victorious.
Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam, international badminton player Shreyansh Jaiswal, Nai Dunia Editor Satish Chandra Srivastava, IBC-24 Managing Editor Vishwesh Thakre, NTPC General Manager Praveen Garg, Sarda Plant Head Manoj Shah and SBI Chief Manager Gaurav Yadav were among those present at the stadium to watch the match.
Strikers entered the semi-finals as the fourth qualifying team, while their opponents, Knights, had topped the league-stage points table. NyaydhanI Knights had remained unbeaten throughout the league stage and had also defeated Strikers 5-3 in their earlier encounter.
Strikers opened the scoring in the first quarter through a brilliant flick by Shah Rukh, who sent the ball into the right corner of the goal. Shortly afterwards, Knights' Adarsh scored a field goal to level the score at 1-1. Just before the completion of the first 15 minutes, Chirag put Knights ahead with a superb goal after receiving the ball from midfield and outmanoeuvring the Strikers' defenders.
Both teams maintained the tempo in the second quarter, which witnessed a flurry of goals. Ashish Tani Purti converted a penalty corner to score his 13th goal of the league, becoming the tournament's leading scorer. A few minutes later, Arbaaz Ali produced an impressive performance to score his first goal in the 24th minute.
In the third quarter, Shah Rukh beat several Knights defenders to score a field goal and bring Strikers level. Soon afterwards, when Shamsher failed to convert a penalty corner, Shah Rukh capitalised on the rebound to complete his hat-trick and give his team the lead.
Strikers extended their advantage in the final quarter through Aryan Zes, who neatly converted an excellent pass inside the circle to score the team's fifth goal. Om Kumar Yadav then completed the scoring, combining with Nishant Tirkey to take Strikers' tally to six and seal a 6-3 victory.
With this win, Sanskardhani Strikers secured their place in the final of the inaugural Chhattisgarh Hockey League.
