After four weeks of non-stop action, the 3rd Hero Hockey India League will reach its crescendo with debutants Ranchi Rays and UP Wizards locking horns in the first semifinal while defending champions Delhi Waveriders take on Jaypee Punjab Warriors in the second match here tomorrow.
Punjab Warriors emerged as the team to beat this season, topping the league stages with 35 pints from 10 games ahead of Ranchi Rays while Uttar Pradesh Wizards finished third with 32 points ahead of the Waveriders, who have managed to accumulate just 25 points.
The first semifinal of the day at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here will be between Ranchi Rays and the Wizards where the new outfit will start as overwhelming favourites, having defeated the Wizards 2-0 and 1-0 in the two encounters in the league stages.
But, the bruised and battered Wizards will be gunning for glory tomorrow and they know very well that a win tomorrow will erase all the bad memories of the league stages.
Both the teams have quality national and international players but the key to the contest will be the onfield battles between Ranchi skipper Ashley Jackson and rival Jeroen Hertzberger, striker Mandeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh and custodians Tyler Love and PR Sreejesh.
However, at the end of the day, the team that keeps its cool in crunch situations and execute its plans to perfection will emerge as the winner.
Confident of a good show tomorrow, coach of Uttar Pradesh Wizards said, "It's a big game tomorrow. We need to perform to our highest level that we have ever performed in the tournament. It's a clash for the run to the final. We have to perform in the best possible way so that we have a chance to play the final of Hockey India League, this season.
