HIL is testing talent for World Cup bid

Young stars are grabbing their chance to play alongside veterans, even as the hockey league battles financial hurdles

- Shail Desai

(from top) Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers; Soorma Hockey Club; and Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers during Hero Hockey India League 2024-25 held in Rourkela, Odisha.

(PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY HOCKEY INDIA)

There’s a lot at stake when the Hockey India League (HIL) gets underway on 3 January. It’s the calm before a momentous storm that Indian men’s national team will hope to power through in 2026—Pro Hockey League fixtures in February and June, followed by the World Cup in August and the Asian Games in September.

The last few years have been an erratic period for the senior men's side where they have shown flashes of brilliance that won them consecutive bronze medals at the Olympics. And disheartening slumps, such as last year when they finished eighth of nine teams in the Pro Hockey League. Their dominance in Asia has been unquestionable, but there's still the need for consistency to be considered a regular contender among the big boys of world hockey.

Last season, the restarted HIL was a chance to test waters for club hockey in India. But this second edition will present an opportunity for players to get a foot in the door and be in the reckoning for national team selection ahead of important tournaments.

Arshdeep Singh would certainly know. After making the junior national side in 2024, his consistency for last season's runners-up, Hyderabad Toofans—he scored three goals and was declared the “Upcoming Player of the Tournament”— earned him a senior debut during the Pro Hockey League earlier this year. It was a similar story for Angad Bir Singh of Vedanta Kalinga Lancers.

"The league is a great platform for youngsters to play alongside experienced players. Besides helping them transition from the junior to senior level, this is their moment to get noticed and make the cut for the India camp," says Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, a former international and now selector for Hockey India.