India kicked off their Paris Olympics 2024 hockey campaign with a dramatic 3-2 win against New Zealand on Saturday, thanks to a last-minute goal from captain Harmanpreet Singh.

The match was an edge-of-the-seat thriller from the word go, with India conceding several penalty corners early on.

New Zealand’s Sam Lane capitalized on one of these opportunities, giving his team the lead. However, India’s Mandeep Singh quickly responded with an equalizer, bringing the score to 1-1.

The Men in Blue made a stunning comeback as Vivek Sagar Prasad scored against the run of play, but New Zealand’s Simon Child managed to level the score once more, setting up a tense final phase of the match.

In the dying minutes, with the score tied at 2-2, Harmanpreet Singh stepped up and scored from a penalty stroke in the 59th minute, securing a 3-2 victory for India.