Hockey India League to be held from December 28 to February 5; eight men’s and six women’s teams in league announced

Hyderabad: Hockey India, on Friday, unveiled the men’s and women’s teams taking part in the revived Hockey India League. The governing body also announced that the next edition of the league will be held from December 28, 2024 to February 5, 2025.

The player auction for the Hockey India League will be held from October 13 to October 15, 2024, in New Delhi.

The league makes a comeback after seven years and for the first time a women’s league will be played alongside the men’s league. While the men’s league will be an eight-franchise affair, the women’s league will have six teams.

Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said the window for the league has been approved by the world hockey’s governing body and the president hoped the league will become the most competitive league in the world. “A clear 35-40 day window will enable maximum participation from foreign players in HIL, thus making it one of the most competitive leagues in the world and also signifies the importance of HIL,” Tirkey said during a press conference while announcing the teams for the league.

Each franchise will have 24 players in their squad out of which there would be a minimum of 16 Indian players. Each franchise is mandated to have four junior players – the rule has been kept keeping an eye on a stable future for the upcoming hockey players – and can have a maximum of eight foreign players.

The base price for players will be categorised into three slabs – INR 10 lakh, INR 5 lakh and INR 2 lakh. The auction base price is the same for both the men’s and the women’s league.

Hockey India said the balanced approach for each franchise is designed to nurture local talent while also adding international flair to the league.

The tournament rules also state that a maximum of four foreign players can play in a match for the men’s team while a maximum of five foreigners can be included in the women’s playing XI.

The women’s category of the Hockey India League will be played at Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand while the men’s teams will play out of the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha.

Franchises from Chennai (Charles Group), Lucknow (Yadu Sports), Punjab (JSW Sports), West Bengal (Shrachi Sports), Delhi (SG Sports and Entertainment), Odisha (Vedanta Limited), Hyderabad (Resolute Sports) and Ranchi (Navoyam Sports Ventures Private Limited) will play in the men’s league while teams from Haryana (JSW Sports), West Bengal (Shrachi Sports), Delhi (SG Sports and Entertainment) and Odisha (Navoyam Sports Ventures Private Limited) will take part in the women’s league.

Two franchises in the women’s division will be announced shortly after the completion of all legal and other paperwork.