India, June 21 -- The Indian women's hockey team was crowned champions of the FIH Nations Cup after defeating hosts New Zealand 2-0 in the final at Auckland on Sunday.

Navneet Kaur (4th minute) gave India the early lead before Sunelita Toppo (15th) doubled India's advantage. The team produced a solid defensive display to protect their lead and win the title, which also marked their return to the Pro League next season.

Lalremsiami won the Player-of-the-Match award while Deepika Sehrawat finished as the joint-top scorer in the tournament with six goals, sharing the honours with American Ashley Sessa.

This is India's second Nations Cup title, having won the inaugural edition in 2022.

India remained unbeaten throughout their campaign, de...