Defending champions Jaypee Punjab Warriors opened their account in the fifth edition of the Hockey India League with an incredible 7-0 thrashing of Ranchi Rays in Ranchi on Wednesday. Mink Van Der Weerden (25th), S V Sunil (26th and 34th), Jake Whetton (43rd) scored for the Punjab side to walk away with five points. It was skipper Sardar Singh’s near-perfect injection that was improvised by Weerden finding the left pocket, beating in-form Ranchi Rays keeper Tyler Lovell. It was S V Sunil who struck again, stunning the home crowd, with an unconventional goal in the 34th minute. Ranchi Rays, on the other hand, struggled to convert the chances they earned with several forays into the circle.

Source: Hindustan Times February 01, 2017 17:15 UTC