rewrite this title Alexander the great: Hendrickx show powers Kalinga Lancers to HIL glory

The great Alexander Hendrickx is not new to playing in finals. Nor is he new to winning those finals… or scoring in them. You’ve seen those thunderous dragflicks of his in Olympic finals, in World Cup finals, so seeing him doing what he does best again oughtn’t to be surprising at all. However, every time he pulls off something special — like he did in the Hockey India League 2026-26 final for the Kalinga Lancers against Ranchi Royals — it’s an experience to behold.

It isn’t just the power or the placement or the technique — it’s the nerves of steel to pull it off when it matters most. On Monday, he executed that skill of his twice, two unstoppable dragflicks taking Lancers to the title, as they beat the Royals 3-2 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

In the last edition, the Lancers entertained with their extremely attacking yet highly porous game plan. This time, under head coach Jay Stacy, they ensured they kept that fun element while also taking the trophy home.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

The match began as expected. The Lancers were the best team in the tournament, and they showed it from minute one of the final. They dominated the ball, kept attacking the circle while also suffocating the Royals with their press, and it took only four minutes for the Alexander Hendrickx show to begin.

On the award of their first penalty corner, the big Belgian took charge. His first attempt was deflected out by the first charger, but having hit his legs, they got another shot. On his second attempt, Hendrickx added (even) more power to his hit. As he flicked hard and low, Royals’ goalkeeper Suraj Karkera got his stick to the ball, but that wasn’t nearly enough. The home crowd erupted. Just a few minutes after the match began, the Royals knew what was coming at them.

Ranchi fought back. Five minutes after the opener, Araijeet Singh Hundal made it 1-1 with a solid half-volley to beat Lancers’ goalkeeper Krishan Pathak.

Despite all that fight, though, the Lancers continued to dominate. Ten minutes into the second quarter, the Lancers took a deserved lead, again. Cue Hendrickx, again. This time, a dragflick of his was blocked, but forward Dilpreet Singh reacted quickly to make it 2-1.

Soon, just four minutes after the second goal, it was the Hendrickx show again. Yet another penalty corner for the Lancers, Hendrickx lined it up and this time went high to the goalkeeper’s left. Before Karkera and the on-the-line defender Yashdeep Siwach could even react, the ball thundered into the corner of the net.

It was, quite simply, the perfect dragflick. The power and the way he achieved the angle for the shot… this is what should be shown time and again in hockey academies all over the world.

“This field is really nice to flick on,” said Hendricks after the match. “Being calm on the top of the circle, doing what you do in the training, not thinking about the whole stadium, just focusing on your technique.”. He made it sound so effortless but that’s the thing about the best players. For them, the extraordinary is routine.

Meanwhile, Ranchi pushed hard, trying to claw their way back. Their top-scorer (and the best player of the tournament) Tom Boon was at the forefront of those efforts. He scored his 19th goal of the tournament, via a dragflick, in the final quarter but they barely had any time to score another one. 90 seconds after Boon’s goal, the hooter sounded, and Lancers got their title.

“He scored more goals than me in total,” Hendrickx said of his Belgium teammate Boon. “He played an amazing tournament. We’re looking forward to play together. It’s a luxury we have with the Belgium team, to have really good dragflickers on the top of the circle.”

It is a luxury indeed. With two in-form dragflickers, Belgium have issued a warning for teams who will be playing at this year’s World Cup. Boon has been in form of his life, winning the FIH Men’s Player of the Year for 2025 for his goal-scoring exploits. Hendrickx has now continued his superb form from last season, where he helped his club Gantoise win the Euro Hockey League title, scoring a hat trick in the final.

As another Belgium veteran Arthur Van Doren lifted the HIL trophy with the Lancers tonight, he would be more than pleased to see his teammates performing at such levels, knowing that come August, they’re coming for that World Cup.