As the teams prepare to compete for a little over a month in Rourkela and Ranchi in a double round-robin format, followed by the knockout rounds, Sports stars previews how they will look ahead of the season opener on December 28.
Soorma Hockey Club
Punjab-based Soorma Hockey Club bet on defenders, spending Rs 1.6 crore – the most of any team at the auction. Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh won the biggest prize and will bring many goals to the team with his drag flicking skills.
Key player
Harmanpreet Singh – Rs 78 lakh
Soorma has experience as a whole, with Vincent Vanasch, Harmanpreet, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Victor Wegnez, Jonas de Geus and Gurjant Singh. Belgian Jeroen Baart, who previously coached his country’s under-21 boys and the Dutch league’s top division, was put in charge of coaching duties.
Rarh Bengal Tigers
While most teams have spent big money on drag flickers, Bengal Tigers have made Indian striker Abhishek Nain their first choice. Colin Batch, who coached Australia to international success, will lead the coaching reins.
The team was dealt a cruel blow when Paris goalkeeper and Olympic gold medalist Pirmin Blaak withdrew from the tournament due to injury. The management shelled out a bonus for drag flicker Jugraj Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh (Rs 12.5 lakh), the latter having retired from internationals in 2021.
While most teams prioritized spending big on drag flickers, Bengal Tigers picked Indian striker Abhishek Nain as their first choice. | Photo credit: K MURALI KUMAR
While most teams prioritized spending big on drag flickers, Bengal Tigers picked Indian striker Abhishek Nain as their first choice. | Photo credit: K MURALI KUMAR
Key player
Abhishek Nain – Rs 72 lakh
The 34-year-old played club hockey in the Netherlands and will be keen to show his country he still has it. They also count on them the big international stars Sam Lane (New Zealand), another corner expert, as well as the Belgians Florent van Aubel and Gauthier Boccard, as well as Sukhjeet Singh.
UP Rudras
UP Rudras boasts a strongly Dutch core reinforced by Paris Olympic gold medalists, with women’s team coach Paul Van Ass overseeing tactics. While Lars Balk and Floris Wortelboer were acquired at auction, Dutch midfielder Seve Van Ass withdrew, replaced by Briton James Albery.
India’s Hardik Singh will lead Rudras’ midfield. | Photo credit: Getty Images
India’s Hardik Singh will lead Rudras’ midfield. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Key player
Hardik Singh – Rs 70 lakh
The attack will be led by the Briton Sam Ward, the Belgian Tanguy Cosyns and the Indian Lalit Upadhyay. The midfield is also strong with Indians like Hardik Singh and Akashdeep Singh, alongside New Zealander Kane Russell.
Hyderabad Toofans
Hyderabad outbid the Pipers and Lancers to get Germany’s Gonzalo Peillat for Rs 68 lakh, making the drag flick expert the most expensive foreign player this edition.
Head coach Pasha Gademan, Germany’s assistant coach during their 2023 World Cup triumph and silver medal at the Paris Olympics, believes Peillat’s experience and skills will be key to maintaining team unity on and off the field.
Hyderabad outbid the Pipers and Lancers to secure the services of German Gonzalo Peillat (2nd from left). | Photo credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
Hyderabad outbid the Pipers and Lancers to secure the services of German Gonzalo Peillat (2nd from left). | Photo credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
Key player
Gonzalo Peillat – Rs 68 lakh
The team made some smart acquisitions including Arthur De Sloover, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit Walmiki, Nic Woods, Zachary Wallace and Dominic Dixon.
Tamil Nadu Dragons
Tamil Nadu Dragons have assembled a star-studded team, with Jip Janssen, Amit Rohidas, Thomas Sorsby, Tom Craig and Blake Govers as standout players. Indian forward Selvam Karthi adds a homegrown flavor to the team, with Australian Nathan Ephraums complementing him in attack. The Dragons have three world-class drag flick options in Janssen, Rohidas and Govers, acquired for a combined Rs 1.29 crore.
Tamil Nadu Dragons have put together a star-studded team, with Jip Janssen being one of the standout players. | Photo credit: R RAGU
Tamil Nadu Dragons have put together a star-studded team, with Jip Janssen being one of the standout players. | Photo credit: R RAGU
Key player
Jip Janssen – Rs 54 lakh
Rohidas is also considered one of the best penalty-defending openers in the world. Head coach Rein van Eijk believes the HIL provides a valuable stepping stone for Karthi in his career. Van Eijk also named defender Anand Y and midfielder Chandan Yadav from the Indian junior team to make an impact.
Delhi SG Pipers
Delhi SG Pipers have built a strong team with the addition of Indian stars Shamsher Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Raj Kumar Pal and Varun Kumar. However, the most notable pick at the auction was Rohit, the Indian men’s junior team defender, who fetched Rs 40 lakh – just two lakhs less than Shamsher. The 20-year-old Rohit is a fearless pacesetter in the penalty corners and a powerful sparkler, ready to take the league by storm.
Delhi SG Pipers have built a strong team with the addition of Indian stars Shamsher Singh (pictured), Jarmanpreet Singh, Raj Kumar Pal and Varun Kumar. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Delhi SG Pipers have built a strong team with the addition of Indian stars Shamsher Singh (pictured), Jarmanpreet Singh, Raj Kumar Pal and Varun Kumar. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Key player
Shamsher Singh – Rs 42 lakh
Former Indian men’s team coach Graham Reid will be at the helm, with recently retired PR Sreejesh appointed as mentor.
The Gonasika team
The Gonasika team has a strong Indian core consisting of midfielder Manpreet Singh, striker Mandeep Singh, defender Birender Lakra and goalkeeper Suraj Karkera. The removal of forward Tom Boon will hurt, but the team signed French forward Timothee Clement to replace him.
Gonasika has as many as five British players in their squad, with Ollie Payne a strong contender for the goalkeeper position.
The Gonasika team has a strong Indian core with midfielder Manpreet Singh as one of the key stars. | Photo credit: REUTERS
The Gonasika team has a strong Indian core with midfielder Manpreet Singh as one of the key stars. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Key player
Manpreet Singh – Rs 42 lakh
The team has invested heavily in the next generation of Indian stars, acquiring junior men’s hockey team captain Amir Ali (Rs 34 lakh), forward Araijeet Singh Hundal (Rs 42 lakh), midfielder Vishnukant Singh (Rs 20 lakh) and defender Anmol Ekka (Rs 9.2 lakh), for a total outlay of Rs 1.05 crore.
Kalinga Lancers
The defending champion Lancers are the only returning club from the previous iteration of the HIL. The team is made up of international captains, including Australian Aran Zalewski, Dutchman Thierry Brinkman and Belgian Arthur Van Doren.
Dutchman Thierry Brinkman is one of the Lancers’ star attractions. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Dutchman Thierry Brinkman is one of the Lancers’ star attractions. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Key player
Thierry Brinkman – Rs 38 lakh
The core is strongly European, with Brinkman, Enrique Gonzalez and the Belgian trio of Van Doren, Antoine Kina and Alexander Hendrickx. Indian goalkeeper Krishan Pathak provides security at the back, while Hendrickx will pose a big threat with his drag flicks. The team coached by Mark Hager will be one of the main contenders for the title.
