Hockey India League’s return gathers pace with a pivotal three days coming up, as the franchises build their teams for the 2024-’25 edition via the player auction. The HIL auction will take place in Delhi from October 13 to 15, as the eight men’s and six women’s teams vie for the services of top Indian and overseas talent.
Hockey India confirmed earlier this month that the men’s league, which returns after a 7-year hiatus, will feature eight franchises, while the women’s league – taking place for the first time – will feature six teams. Initially, the plan was for four women’s teams but that count went up when the league’s return was officially confirmed. It marks a significant development for the women’s game. In India’s growing landscape of sporting leagues, it is a market only recently tapped by Women’s Premier League for cricket.
How will the auction work?
The auction will unfold over three days, with the men’s auction taking place on 13th and 14th October, followed by the women’s auction on 15th October. Each franchise will build a 24-player squad, comprising 16 Indian players (including four junior players) and 8 foreign players.
With Hockey India confirming that they have been given an exclusive international window during the last week of December and the first week of February for the next 10 years, top international stars will be able to participate as well.
What are the purse details?
Players are divided into three base price categories: Rs 2 lakh, Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh, based on the value they selected for themselves. According to the league, over 1,000 players have registered overall with a breakdown of: 400+ domestic men’s players,150+ overseas men’s players, 250+ domestic women’s players, 70+ overseas women’s players.
The total purse for the men’s teams is Rs 4 crore each, while for the women’s teams it is Rs 2 crore each. There is no upper limit on how much an individual player could get at the auction but the purse cap means teams can’t afford to splash too much.
All eyes will be on Harmanpreet Singh, of course, who is highly like to fetch the biggest bid. Vice Captain Hardik Singh, and stars like Manpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh will be sought after too. Former Indian hockey legends such as Rupinder Pal Singh, Birendra Lakra, and Dharamvir Singh have also registered. Top international stars include Arthur van Doren, Alexander Hendrickx, Gonzalo Peillat, Jip Janssen, Thierry Brinkman, and Dayaan Cassiem will add global talent and flair to the men’s league.
Among the women, Savita Punia, Salima Tete, Vandana Katariya and Navneet Kaur will be among the top billed stars. Delfina Merino, Charlotte Stapenhorst, Maria Granatto, Rachael Lynch, and Nike Lorenz will be top international names available for recruitment.
Where to watch the auction unfold?
The HIL auction will be live-streamed on the newly launched Hockey India League YouTube channel. Apart from the stream, the auction will also be broadcast live on DD Sports in India. On Sunday, the auction starts at 2 pm IST while Monday and Tuesday’s events start at 9.30 am.
What about the team owners?
The key aspect of HIL’s return is the work that has been done over the last two years so as to not repeat the mistakes from the previous iteration where the league became unsustainable. A private firm was entrusted with laying down certain frameworks to make sure there is a focus on long-term.
Here are the owners we know so far. Two women’s team owners and cities are yet to be confirmed by Hockey India.
List of Men’s Franchises and their Owners
1.    Tamil Nadu Dragons (Chennai) – M & C Property Development Pvt Ltd
2.    UP Rudras (Lucknow) – Yadu Sports
3.    Soorma Hockey Club (Punjab) – JSW Sports
4.    Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers (West Bengal) – Shrachi Sports
5.    Delhi SG Vipers (Delhi) – SG Sports and Entertainment
6.    Kalinga Landers (Odisha) – Vedanta Limited
7.    Hyderabad Toofans (Hyderabad) – Resolute Sports
8.    Visakhapatnam (Name TBA) – Team Gonasika (Was originally Ranchi with Navoyam)
List of Women’s Franchises and their Owners (confirmed so far)
1.    Soorma Hockey Club (Haryana) – JSW Sports
2.    Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers (West Bengal)– Shrachi Sports
3.    Delhi SG Vipers – SG Sports and Entertainment
4.    Odisha (Name TBA) – Navoyam Sports Ventures Private Limited
