Hockey India League 2024-25 starts December 28

The Hockey India League 2024-25 is scheduled to be held from December 28 to February 1, featuring eight men’s and six women’s teams, the Hockey India (HI) announced on Friday.

Returning after seven years, this will be the sixth edition of the Hockey India League (HIL). The revamped hockey tournament will introduce the women’s tournament for the first time.

Both the men’s and women’s competitions will run simultaneously during the window exclusively reserved for the HIL by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), ensuring the availability of the top foreign players.

The HIL 2024-25 player auctions will be held from October 13 to 15 in New Delhi. Each franchise can build a 24-player squad, consisting of at least 16 Indian hockey players (with a mandatory inclusion of four junior players) and eight international stars.

The men’s league will feature a team each from Chennai, Lucknow, Punjab, Kolkata, Delhi, Odisha, Hyderabad and Ranchi. The women’s tournament will have sides from Haryana, West Bengal, Delhi and Odisha. The two remaining franchise teams for the women’s league will be announced in the coming days.

Indian tennis icon Mahesh Bhupathi’s SG Sports has invested in both the men’s and women’s franchise teams for Delhi. The Shrachi Group has similarly invested in two teams in West Bengal and JSW in Punjab and Haryana.

The HIL 2024-25 matches will be played across two venues - Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha.

Each match will result in a winner, with shootouts being introduced for tied games to ensure every encounter concludes decisively.

The women’s league final is scheduled for January 26 in Ranchi and the men’s final will be played on February 1 in Rourkela.

The Hockey India League started in 2013. The league was discontinued in 2017 due to a packed international calendar and growing financial hurdles.

The previous five editions of the Hockey India League from 2013 to 2017 were all held in the January-February window. Kalinga Lancers, Ranchi Rhinos, Delhi Waveriders, Ranchi Rays and Punjab Warriors won one title each.

Hockey India League 2024-25 teams

Click here to read article