Indian Navy secured their place in the final of the 97th all-India
The match remained scoreless through the opening quarter, but the intensity picked up in the second period. Yogesh Singh broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, successfully converting a penalty corner with a precise drag-flick following an assist from Abhishek Topno. Railways struggled to find their rhythm throughout the contest, hampered significantly by a poor conversion rate that saw them capitalize on only one of their eight penalty corner opportunities.
Late Drama and Shootout Decider
Railways managed to respond in the third quarter when Pratap Lakra found the back of the net with a drag-flick from a penalty corner. The momentum appeared to shift in favor of the defending champions in the 55th minute, as Atul Deep struck from a rebound after goalkeeper Sanjay Bhaskar had initially saved an attempt from Lovepreet Singh. With time running out, the Navy side mounted a final offensive, forcing an equalizer in the 57th minute when K. Selvaraj connected with a long diagonal pass from Sanjit Toppo to level the score at 2-2.
In the ensuing shootout, the Navy players demonstrated composure under pressure. Ashis Topno, Sanjit Toppo, Yogesh Singh, and Kuldeep all successfully converted their attempts. Conversely, Railways faltered, with Rajbeer Singh and Darshan Gawkar missing their shots, sealing the exit for the reigning champions. In the other semifinal match, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) also advanced to the final after defeating the Indian Army 4-1 in a penalty shootout, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time where Akshay Dubey scored for the Army and Anmol Ekka netted for BPCL.
