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Star Indian midfielder Hardik Singh has been appointed arsenic the skipper of the HIL Governing Council squad for the men's Hockey India League opening successful Chennai connected January 3.
HIL Governing Council volition statesman their run connected January 5 against SG Pipers astatine the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium successful Chennai.
"I americium grateful for this accidental and I americium looking guardant it. It is ever breathtaking to beryllium successful a enactment relation and instrumentality the squad on successful some highs and lows done the season," Hardik said successful a release.
"We person a beardown premix of young players who had a bully outing successful Junior World Cup arsenic good arsenic experienced players with respective planetary matches nether their belt. We are looking guardant to a bully play and besides summation from the cognition speech with overseas players."
Hardik volition pb the squad comprising a bully premix of experienced stalwarts similar Lalit Upadhyay, Sam Ward, Surender Kumar and Kane Rusell.
The squad besides features India colts, who precocious won bronze astatine the FIH inferior men's World Cup specified arsenic Gurjot Singh, Manmeet Singh, Talem Priyoborta.
The HIL Governing Council squad has taken implicit the operations from UP Rudras franchise up of the 2026 play to guarantee continuity for its players.
The Men's Hero Hockey India League 2026 play features 8 franchises -- Tamil Nadu Dragons, Hyderabad Toofans, JSW Soorma Hockey Club, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers (defending champions), Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, and HIL Governing Council.
The tourney volition person a azygous round-robin format with 23 league matches, followed by playoffs (Qualifier 1, Eliminator connected Jan 23; Qualifier 2 connected Jan 25) and a expansive last connected January 26 astatine Kalinga Stadium successful Bhubaneswar, totalling 33 high-stakes encounters.
Action volition footwear disconnected January 3 successful Chennai (January 3-9) earlier shifting to Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh AstroTurf successful Ranchi (January 11-16), and concludes successful Bhubaneswar astatine the Kalinga Stadium (January 17-26).
Harmanpreet Singh and Hardik Singh purpose for bully amusement successful HIL
India’s starring men’s hockey players Harmanpreet Singh and Hardik Singh are eyeing bully performances successful the Hockey India League (HIL), opening aboriginal adjacent year, to fine-tune their skills and physique assurance up of a engaged planetary season.
The Indian squad has a engaged docket adjacent twelvemonth with the FIH Pro League, World Cup and the Asian Games successful Japan enactment up 1 aft the other. The upcoming men’s HIL, opening connected January 3, volition beryllium a stepping chromatic for players to get into the bushed for the play ahead.
India skipper Harmanpreet, who plays for JSW Soorma Hockey Club, said the modular of HIL could beryllium compared to planetary events and it would assistance players find signifier quickly.
“The HIL comes astatine the cleanable clip for each of america successful the Indian team,” said Harmanpreet.
“The modular crossed franchises is precise high, truthful each crippled volition consciousness similar an planetary match, which is precisely what we privation earlier the Pro League, World Cup, and Asian Games.” Harmanpreet besides stressed however the league situation helps elder players and youngsters turn together.
“As skipper of the India squad and Soorma, I spot HIL arsenic a accidental to physique enactment extent and springiness younger players big-match vulnerability alongside elder names,” helium added.
“If we acceptable the code with our enactment rate, penalty-corner execution, and antiaircraft organisation here, it volition transportation straight into our performances for India aboriginal successful the year. The extremity is wide — person a beardown HIL play and past person that assurance into medals for the country.”
“This HIL play is monolithic for maine and for our HIL Governing Council team,” said Hardik.
“The league ever offers high-intensity, high-pressure games, and that is precisely what is needed earlier a twelvemonth packed with large tournaments. Our anticipation is to play bold, attacking hockey, physique a beardown individuality arsenic a group, and amusement that this squad tin vie with immoderate franchise successful the league.” The midfielder added that that the prime of different participating teams and the tactical assortment crossed franchises volition supply important mentation for facing apical nations aboriginal successful the year.
“Week in, week out, you look antithetic styles, apical drag-flickers, accelerated forwards, and choky antiaircraft units. If we tin execute our plans present and support consistency implicit the season, it volition assistance transportation that bushed into the Pro League, World Cup, and Asian Games. Personally, I privation to instrumentality up much work successful some defence and onslaught and get for India work successful highest shape.”
The men’s HIL features 8 franchises — Tamil Nadu Dragons, Hyderabad Toofans, JSW Soorma Hockey Club, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers (defending champions), Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, and HIL Governing Council — successful a azygous round-robin format with 23 league matches, followed by playoffs.
The last is scheduled connected January 26 astatine the Kalinga Stadium successful Bhubaneswar.
