Hockey India League returns: From Harmanpreet Singh’s backup to India’s goalkeeper depth, five things to look forward to

Captains ahead of Men’s HIL starting in Chennai on Saturday. (Credit: Hockey India League)

After some teething issues in the rebooted Hockey India League, the tournament returns with some improvements and overcoming off-season hurdles. With UP Rudras pulling out of the league hours before the auction, Hockey India had to step in and take ownership of a franchise – a team that has been named HIL Governing Council – to avoid last-minute embarrassment. There were concerns about foreign players’ availability as well, which were largely addressed (top Dutch players will be absent) to ensure the quality of matches remains high. But a lot of attention will be on Indian players trying to leave a good impression on head coach Craig Fulton, who’d be looking to expand the talent pool.

Fulton is left with a daunting task of managing a core group that has to contend with playing World Cup and Asian Games separated by less than three weeks. While World Cup medal has eluded Indian hockey for decades now, Fulton can’t afford to lose focus on Olympic qualification at stake from Asiad. The head coach will need more than just one settled squad to tackle these twin challenges and HIL will give him an idea of who among the second string can take a step forward.

The Indian captain continues to remain the fulcrum of the national team, shouldering the goalscoring burden along with leadership and marshalling defence. 2025 saw him struggle with multiple niggles, and when he was absent, India didn’t appear the same force. In the last HIL, Jugraj Singh stepped up for eventual champions Bengal Tigers and finished as the leading goal-scorer. And Indian hockey needs to see more drag flicking options emerge from HIL; the likes of Amandeep Lakra, Sanjay, Araijeet Singh all have the chance to throw their names into the mix.

Having been part of the women’s auction last year, Ranchi Royals have moved Harendra Singh to the men’s setup where he is now the head coach. The man who has donned many hats in Indian hockey, will start the HIL under the recent cloud of his exit from India women’s team after reports of falling out with players. While always regarded as a players’ coach, Harendra has some image rebuilding to do as he takes up a new challenge.

India enter their first major tournament year without PR Sreejesh in goal, and the competition for the spot between posts is in a fascinating stage. While Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera have been Fulton’s first two choices, the strong performances by Pawan and Mohith HS at the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup would’ve given head coach plenty to ponder. Throw into the mix the emergence of Prince Deep Singh – regarded as a Sreejesh replica and having impressed at the Junior World cup under the legendary coach’s tutelage – and Bikramjit Singh, there is a selection headache brewing there.

Perhaps not the favourites on paper, Bengal Tigers quietly rode the highs and lows to emerge as winners last edition. The finalists, Hyderabad Toofans, were widely considered the most well-rounded team and they’d be hoping to go one step further, having opted for continuity across the board during the off-season, from players to support staff. But the loss of star drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat due to injury is a big blow to overcome. Kalinga Lancers were by some distance the most exciting team to watch last year, but were pegged back by defensive flaws. SG Pipers, with Sreejesh calling for more accountability from his setup, would be hoping to fare much better than their winless run last year.