Trimmed Squads and Missing Stars: A New Era for HIL

With the men’s franchise Team Gonasika and the defending women’s champions Odisha Warriors already withdrawing from the Hockey India League (HIL), more surprises have emerged as Hockey India (HI) gears up for the second edition of the redesigned tournament since its relaunch last year.

Fourteen prominent foreign players from last season’s HIL are likely to be absent this year due to a packed 2026 schedule, which includes the pivotal World Cup. Additionally, the league will be played during the off-season.

The 2026 World Cup is scheduled in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 14 to 30, necessitating early preparations. With the majority of the season committed to the FIH Pro League, there is limited opportunity for coaches and management of top European teams to prepare their players.

Another challenge is the HIL schedule, which includes camps starting before Christmas and games held during New Year – traditionally a holiday season for players from leading hockey nations such as Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Great Britain.

An HI official, speaking anonymously to HT, stated, “Roughly 14 foreign players may not join this time due to World Cup commitments, but this should not be seen as a major issue. We have plenty of equally talented players available if some can’t come due to national duties.”

Efforts are ongoing to secure players, and if the current ones are unavailable, others from regions like Europe, Oceania, Asia, and Pan America are also on standby. Registration details will be shared soon, with numerous senior internationals showing interest.

Last year, 96 foreign players participated — 64 men and 32 women. Of these, 56 male players have been retained, although 14 may not return. The remainder have re-entered the auction pool.

Previously, around 20 foreign male players auctioned did not participate, but were replaced by similarly skilled players. It was also noted that players failing to show up post-auction would face a three-year ban from the league.

When questioned about enforcing the ban, the official replied, “The decision rests with the franchise and player agreements. We will implement the ban if requested by the franchise.”

Squads Reduced to 20 Players

The league will also see a reduction in squad size from 24 to 20 players, allowing for a more equitable distribution of the ₹4 crore purse for men and ₹2 crore for women, addressing past issues where many Indian players remained unsold until base prices were lowered.

The reduction requires each team to have seven instead of eight foreign players.

Registration for the upcoming HIL has closed, and the tournament will be hosted in Chennai, Bhubaneswar, and Ranchi. The previous edition took place in Rourkela and Ranchi.