Hockey India League returns after 7 years with first-ever women’s edition

The Hockey India League (HIL) is making a much-anticipated return after a seven-year hiatus, and for the first time, a women's edition will run alongside the men's tournament. Initially, the Women's HIL was planned as a six-team competition, but it will now start with just four teams in its inaugural season, with the number of teams expected to increase to six in the following season.

Hockey India has confirmed the four franchise teams for the first edition: Soorma Hockey Club (Haryana and Punjab), Shrachi Rahr Bengal Tigers (West Bengal), SG Pipers (Delhi), and Odisha Warriors (Rourkela). Two additional teams, Hyderabad Toofan and BC Jindal Group (Mumbai), will join from the 2025 season. This marks a historic moment for Indian women's hockey as it steps into a league structure for the first time, offering a professional platform to showcase their talent.

Ahead of the women’s player auction scheduled for October 15, there will be a pool of 250 Indian players and over 70 international players. Each of the four franchises will have a purse of INR 2 crores to form a squad of up to 24 players, which includes a mandatory minimum of 16 Indian players, of which four must be juniors. The base price categories for players have been set at INR 10 lakhs, INR 5 lakhs, and INR 2 lakhs.

Although the initial plan was to feature six teams, the reduction to four teams for the first season means Hockey India may reassess the number of matches and the overall duration of the league. However, details regarding this adjustment are yet to be confirmed. The inclusion of women’s teams is expected to expand further in the coming years, adding momentum to the growth of hockey in India.