Team Gonasika and UP Rudras face off in the last of their round-robin league matches in Ranchi on Saturday (January 18), a day before the pool phase of the Hockey India League gets underway in Rourkela.UP Rudras, who topped the Hockey India League points table for a brief period, have now slipped to the fifth place after having lost three of their last four matches. Team Gonasika are currently in seventh place in the eight-team competition and need full points to rise to the top half of the table.Gonasika did manage to pull off a 2-1 win against Soorma Hockey Club in the previous game and are high on confidence going into the crucial encounter against Paul van Ass' team, who have been struggling of late.Kane Russell has scored three goals for the Rudras from the top of the circle, even as the UP side now have a penalty corner conversion rate of 20.7%. Finding field goals, though, hasn't been easy for Paul van Ass' side despite the presence of experienced strikers.Sam Ward has been the livewire for his team ever since he joined the squad but Lalit Upadhaya has yet to come into his own in the competition.Uncapped players like Sudeep Chirmako and Jobanpreet Singh have been brilliant in patches while big names like Hardik Singh and Simranjeet Singh have failed to make a mark thus far.Team Gonasika, however, have been well served by SV Sunil, Nikkin Thimmaiah, and Araijeet Singh Hundal, but have been unfortunate to have ended up on the losing side in two close games.UP Rudras vs Team Gonasika, Hockey India League match detailsMatch Details: UP Rudras vs Team Gonasika, League Match, Hockey India League 2024-25Date & Time: Saturday, January 18, 2025, 8:15 PM ISTVenue: Ranchi, IndiaUP Rudras vs Team Gonasika: Full SquadsUP RudrasGoalkeepers: Pankaj Kumar Rajak, James Mazarelo, Prashant Kumar ChauhanDefenders: James Albery, Lars Balk, Surender Kumar, Sunil Jojo, Kane Russell, Prashant Barla, Sharda Nand Tiwari, Priyobarta TalemMidfielders: Manmeet Singh, Jobanpreet Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Rafael Vilallonga, Floris Wortelboer, Hardik Singh, Akashdeep SinghForwards: Sudeep Chirmako, Sam Ward, Tanguy Cosyns, Zaid Mohammad Khan, Gurjot Singh, Lalit Kumar UpadhyayTeam GonasikaGoalkeepers: Oliver Payne, Kamalbir Singh, Suraj KarkeraDefenders: Tim Howard, Dipsan Tirkey, Sanjeep Nilam Xess, Birendra Lakra, Anmol Ekka, Yogember Rawat, Amir AliMidfielders: Jacob Draper, Yashdeep Siwach, Jack Waller, Timothee Clement, Lee Morton, Vishnukant Singh, Sannuvanda Uthappa, Manpreet SinghForwards: Nikkin Thimmaiah, Struan Walker, SV Sunil, Victor Charlet, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Mandeep SinghUP Rudras vs Team Gonasika: PredictionTeam Gonasika's biggest strength is an array of experience up-front, with SV Sunil making an appearance in alternate games, even as Mandeep Singh and Struan Walker pose a constant threat in the attacking circle.A fascinating battle is on the cards, with Floris Wortelboer having displayed his class for the Rudras in recent games while Sam Ward seems to be getting better with every game for Team Gonasika.Score Prediction: UP Rudras 2 - 3 Team GonasikaWhere to watch Hockey India League 2024-25 matches in India?Matches of the Hockey India League 2024-25 will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and DD Sports and streamed live on SonyLiv and Waves.