The numbers from the 2026 season made the case for how strong the league is. Despite several foreign players being unavailable, HIL crossed 1 billion social media views in just over two weeks. That milestone took the entire previous season to reach. TV viewership was also up 37 percent after the first six matches. The HIL YouTube channel recorded over 80 million views in 28 days, drawing audiences from Argentina, the UK, Australia, Germany, Belgium, and beyond.

Which Nations Can Register for Hockey India League?

Players from 14 nations are eligible on the men’s side, and 15 on the women’s side.

Men: India, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, England, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Ireland, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia, Japan.

Women: India, Netherlands, Argentina, Belgium, China, Spain, England, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, United States, Ireland, Scotland, Japan.

Players can register directly through the Hockey India website.

One notable absentee on the men’s side is Pakistan. Ranked 12th in the world, Pakistan would ordinarily be in contention. The Government of India does not allow Pakistani players to take part in tournaments hosted in India. This applies unless the event is a multilateral international competition. HIL is a domestic league and falls outside that exemption.

Last season, more than 1,000 players registered for the auction. That included over 500 Indian men, 350 Indian women, and more than 240 international players across both categories.

Hockey India League Proposed Venues

Season 3 expands to three venues from the two used in Season 2. All franchises agreed in a meeting with Hockey India that Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, and Delhi will host the competition. SG Pipers president Digvijay Singh Deo confirmed the decision. Dilip Tirkey has also proposed Bhubaneswar as the venue for the women’s tournament, with Kalinga Stadium as the likely base.

Delhi is a new addition to the Season 3 calendar. While Hockey India has not confirmed the specific venue, matches in Delhi have historically been held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, which holds 16,200 spectators. A detailed schedule is expected by end of June.

When Does Hockey India League Season 3 Start?

Hockey India has scheduled Season 3 for January 2027. The move shifts the tournament away from the holiday window that cost the league key foreign players in Season 2. Top European players typically take a break over Christmas and New Year. Several were unavailable for Season 2 as a result.

The Netherlands did not release their senior players for Season 2 due to fixture congestion and the home World Cup. Both obstacles are now gone. The 2026 World Cup completes in August, well before the January 2027 window.

Read More: India Tour of Australia: Squad, Schedule and Streaming Details

Hockey India League Auction

The auction is confirmed for September 11. Hockey India wants the auction done before the Asian Games. The Games serve as an Olympic qualifier for India. The aim is to avoid any distraction for players in contention for national selection.

Three franchises withdrew before or during Season 2. UP Rudras cited financial sustainability concerns and pulled out two days before the auction. The HIL governing council subsequently took over franchise operations. Team Gonasika in the men’s section and Odisha Warriors women also withdrew, citing personal reasons. However, reports suggested the Warriors players had significant problems with the franchise owners.

Despite those withdrawals, the auction produced competitive bidding. Australian pair Liam Henderson and Cooper Burns were picked up by Vedanta Kalinga Lancers. Sander de Wijn then triggered a fierce bidding war before joining Tamil Nadu Dragons. Agustina Gorzelany of Argentina emerged as the most expensive women’s player. Monika became the costliest Indian women’s player after an intense bidding battle.

What Hockey India League Season 3 Needs to Be

HIL’s social media numbers are strong. However, the harder challenge is breaking out of the hockey ecosystem. The league’s audience today is largely people who already follow the sport. That ceiling is real.

Meanwhile, the wider Indian sports landscape is shifting in HIL’s favour. Pro Kabaddi League, once the most credible challenger to cricket’s dominance, has seen its momentum plateau. The Indian Super League is also in active turmoil. Several ISL clubs issued a joint statement this year. They warned the AIFF they may reduce their commitment if uncertainty continues. As a result, Indian football’s top league ran a shortened 13-match format in 2025-26 after months of administrative deadlock.

Hockey India League does not have those problems. It has a growing international audience, a clear calendar, and franchises that showed up even when Season 2 got difficult. The chance to become India’s second biggest sporting league is real. But television production quality needs to improve. The in-stadium experience needs work too. Social media reach alone does not build a league. Sustained viewership does.

Season 3 starts in January 2027. The window to become India’s second biggest sporting league will not stay open forever.

Indian hockey has a big year ahead. Nations Cup, World Cup, Asian Games. Subscribe to the Give Me Hockey newsletter and follow every step of it.

<p>The post What do we know about Hockey India League Season 3? first appeared on Give Me Hockey.</p>

When Vinayak Padmadeo’s report in The Tribune came out detailing issues in the Hockey India League, it was evident that the federation hadn’t learned from HIL 1.0.

Back in 2022, this website had published an article on the sustainability challenges faced during HIL 1.0. The issues were many ranging from high operational costs to a decline in revenue streams. Unsurprisingly, franchisees began pulling out just after a couple of seasons. The league folded after the 2016–2017 season.

Read More: Hockey India League- The Past, and The Expected Future (2022 article)

So, when Hockey India announced plans to revive the league, fans were hopeful that old problems would be addressed. But as the league progresses, it seems the same issues are making a comeback.

Team Gonasika Pulling Out

According to The Tribune, Team Gonasika has folded and pulled out of the Hockey India League, citing high operating costs. This also came as a surprise to the federation, who were unaware of the challenges faced by the team.

Hockey India secretary Bhola Nath Singh told The Tribune: “We were surprised why the team, whose owners were very prompt in paying their franchise fee and the way they worked, chose to pull out. We are talking to a few interested parties and will announce a replacement team soon.”

While Gonasika pulling out is a surprise, it’s also worth noting that they were a last-minute addition after another party withdrew before the player auctions. This just shows how challenging it is to run an HIL team.

Unpaid Salaries

Another issue currently impacting the league is unpaid salaries. Two franchisees, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers and Odisha Warriors, still owe money to their players.

This concern isn’t new. It was also raised during HIL 1.0. In the 2015 season, players and support staff from Ranchi Rays and Uttar Pradesh Wizards (owned by Sahara Group) weren’t paid. The dues back then amounted to INR 2–3 crores.

While the amounts due for the this season haven’t been disclosed, Odisha Warriors, winners of the women’s crown, reportedly owe a significant sum to their players. Hockey India has written to both franchisees, asking them to clear the payments.

Such behavior from franchisees, especially in the first season, doesn’t inspire much confidence.

Read More: FIH Pro League European Leg: Indian women’s team and complete schedule

Reduction in Squad Size

In another report published in The Tribune in April, the Hockey India League Governing Council decided to reduce the squad size from 24 to 20. On the field, this limits player rotation and increases the workload on core players.

But more importantly, it hints at the financial strain the franchisees are under.

Trimming squads also hurts the development of young players, teams are likely to leave them out first. Hockey India focuses a lot on younger players. With this news of squad trimming, development of young players will take a hit.

Hockey India placed a lot of emphasis on building a sustainable model for HIL. But with unpaid salaries, squad cuts, and teams folding, it’s worth asking ,were there any learnings at all from HIL 1.0?

The Root Cause: Lack of Revenue

Despite all the ambition, HIL is clearly struggling on the financial front. Revenue is the oxygen of any league. Right now, HIL seems to be gasping.

TV Revenue

Consider this: the IPL’s media rights for 2023–27 are worth over ₹48,000 crore. The English Premier League earns over £5 billion from broadcast deals. These leagues thrive because of strong TV partnerships. These not only bring in revenue but also boost fan engagement.

There’s no information about who HIL approached or what those discussions led to. But the fact is, HIL partnered with Doordarshan—a government-owned broadcaster. Government-owned entities like Doordarshan don’t offer many opportunities to make money. Not to mention the broadcast quality.

Since the first game, fans have been questioning the production quality. Franchisees too have expressed similar concerns.

HIL 1.0 had tied up with Star Sports, who literally built the Kabaddi fan base in India. Yet, HIL couldn’t capitalize on that. And now with Doordarshan, things aren’t improving. Hockey India’s report mentioned 40 million viewers, but the revenue seems to be negligible.

Ticket Revenue

Another obvious source of revenue is ticket sales. But the Governing Council decided to offer free entry for matches. There’s no clear explanation. Maybe it was to boost local turnout.

Still, it eliminated a basic revenue stream. Even modestly priced tickets could have helped cover costs and improve the match-day experience. Free entry doesn’t scream confidence. It screams desperation.

Sponsorship & Brand Engagement

HIL has just six partners. Hero is the title sponsor for three years. Apart from Hero, the league has Big FM as the Radio Partner, Bisleri as the Hydration Partner, and Apollo Hospitals as the Medical Partner.

Sony Sports Network and Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) broadcast the league as official partners. Prasar Bharati’s Waves is also the streaming partner.

There’s very little public information about the value of these deals or brand investment. That alone raises questions about how much money is really coming into the league.

Trouble Ahead if Lessons Aren’t Learned

It’s not time to hit the panic button just yet. But the warning signs are clear.

Franchisees have pulled out teams, delayed salaries, reduced squad sizes, and struggled to generate revenue, clear signs that the structure needs strengthening.. If Hockey India doesn’t act with urgency, take cues from the past, and work toward a more commercially sustainable model, there’s a real risk that HIL 2.0 could face the same fate as its earlier version.

<p>The post Hockey India League: Is HIL 2.0 Repeating Old Mistakes? first appeared on Give Me Hockey.</p>

A hot topic on social media is the potential return of the Hockey India League. This franchise-based tournament, which launched in 2013 with high expectations, has been on hold since 2017 due to various challenges.

Hockey India has actively explored ways to revive the tournament. In 2023, they partnered with Bang Bang Media Ventures Pvt Ltd (BBMVPL) as the commercial partner to help relaunch the league. Since then, BBMVPL has worked to get the Hockey India League back on track.

When Will the Hockey India League Return?

The Hockey India League is set to start in late December. Hockey India has secured a window from the FIH for the tournament. While they have not finalized the exact dates, media reports suggest the 2024-25 season will kick off on December 27, 2024, and end on February 1, 2025.

How Many Teams Will Participate in the Hockey India League?

The league will feature eight men’s teams and six women’s teams. Hockey India invited interested parties to submit formal expressions of interest by July 8, 2024.

What Is the Cost of a Hockey India League Franchise?

Owning a franchise will cost INR 7 crores (approximately $830k) per year for a men’s team and INR 3 crores (approximately $350k) per year for a women’s team. Hockey India will grant franchise ownership rights for an initial period of 10 years.

Who Is Expected to Purchase Hockey India League Franchises?

Hockey India has not yet updated the public on franchise ownership. However, the Indian Express reports that over 30 groups, including Adani, Jindal Sports, GMR, and JK Cements, have expressed interest in buying a franchise.

Will the Hockey India League Continue to Have Matches in a Multi-City Format?

It seems unlikely. The high costs of hosting a multi-city tournament led Hockey India to suspend the league. The expenses were too burdensome for franchise owners. Although Hockey India has not made an official announcement, media reports suggest they will likely hold the tournament in just two locations—Ranchi and Rourkela.

How Many Players Will Participate in the Hockey India League?

Over 500 foreign players have registered for the league so far. Some federations requested an extension of the registration deadline due to the Olympics. Hockey India has invited players from the top 15 ranked nations to apply for the auction pool. Alongside the 500 foreign players, more than 1,000 Indian players (both domestic and international) have also registered.

Why Did Hockey India Discontinue the Hockey India League?

The league faced suspension due to an unsustainable business model. High operating costs resulted in significant losses for franchise owners. Rising expenses and decreasing revenues led to the league’s temporary halt..

Read More: Hockey India League- The Past and Expected Future

<p>The post Everything You Need to Know About the Returning Hockey India League 2024 first appeared on Give Me Hockey.</p>

When is Hockey India League resuming?

To answer this important question, we need to dig into the past and understand why HIL was cancelled.

Official Reason: In 2018, the chairman of Hockey India League Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad spoke to the media and said that the tournament will not be played that year. However, the tournament will come back next year with a fresh outlook that will help benefit the game. HIL chairman also spoke about the scheduling issue with the tournament. In the year 2018, World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games were scheduled.

Hockey India League chairman also hinted at another reason the league was getting cancelled for 2018- finances. The franchisees were struggling financially to support the teams.

Let us look in detail at the reasons for the cancellation of the Hockey India League

TEAM FINANCES

Dabur Mumbai Magicians was the first team to withdraw from Hockey India League in 2014. Ranchi Rhinos owned by Patel-Uniexcel Group followed Mumbai in withdrawing from the league in the same season. The reason- incurring heavy losses by running the franchisee.

Sahara and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s replaced the Ranchi franchisee while DoIT Sports management picked up the Mumbai franchisee. Despite replacing, things were not too rosy for the league.

It was not just Ranchi Rhinos and Mumbai Magicians that were suffering. This was the state of all the teams that were participating in the Hockey India League. The spokesperson for Punjab Warriors said they were losing more than Rs. 10 crores a year ($1.2 million). While the spokesperson for Ranchi Rhinos said the losses incurred for a year amounted to Rs. 10 to Rs.15 crores ($1.2 million to $1.8 million).

With teams losing support and no support from Hockey India, it was getting exceedingly difficult to run the franchisees.

Also, news articles in 2017 spoke about how few players were not getting paid by their respective franchisees.

HOCKEY INDIA

While finances were hurting the teams, the attitude of Hockey India too was not helping the franchisees. One Ranchi Rhinos official spoke to the media about the lethargic approach of the federation- ‘We requested several times to the authority to change its format and encourage franchises. But our suggestions weren’t heeded’ he said.

HIL turned out great for the players and their finances but for the owners, there were heavy losses. Suresh Kumar Chauhan of Ranchi Rhinos before pulling the team out of the league said, ‘Taking stock of last two seasons and seeing not much has changed by the structured marketing of hockey league, unlike other leagues recently introduced which are much more congenial to the franchisee profitability, there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.’

While Ranchi and Mumbai pulled out, the rest of the teams continued to struggle. A Hockey India official on condition of anonymity in 2018 spoke to PTI and said, ‘We don’t know what is in store for the future. But some franchises were unhappy with the organizers.’

The teams were also promised compensation from Hockey India 2017 to manage their losses, but the amount however was peanuts compared to the losses.

Similar thoughts were also echoed by the officials of Punjab Warriors when the league was cancelled.

SCHEDULE

The schedule was also given as one of the reasons by league officials for the inability to conduct the league. The year 2018 had World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. This did not give the league officials enough time to hold the competition. League officials were right about the schedule issues. Looking back at the 2018 hockey calendar, there just wasn’t any time to hold the league.

The European club competition also affected the league. Foreign players were the stars of the Hockey India League. Out of five seasons played, foreign players were named players of the tournament three times. Missing good foreign players due to schedule clashes also affected the league.

TEAM STATUS

Delhi WaveRiders: Owned by Wave Group Delhi WaveRiders left the league in 2017. Post the death of the Wave group chairman, the group was not interested in running the team. Status: The team has folded.

Ranchi Rays and Uttar Pradesh Wizards: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the face of Ranchi Rays; it was Sahara who backed the team. Sahara Group also owned another Hockey India League team- Uttar Pradesh Wizards. While Delhi folded, Sahara only wanted to run one team. Today, Sahara is under huge financial problems. It is unlikely that we would see any of these two teams in the Hockey India League again. Status: Unlikely to continue

Jaypee Punjab Warriors: Like other teams, Jaypee Punjab Warriors too faced also faced financial challenges running the team. In one news article, Punjab Warriors officials mentioned that the team was losing Rs. Ten crores ($1.2 million) annually. Also, there was no support function for the teams from Hockey India. Owners of Punjab Warriors also expressed their inability to continue with the league. Status: Unlikely to continue

Kalinga Lancers: Kalinga Lancers are the only team that would have no problem being part of the Hockey India League again. The franchisee, Kalinga Lancers are owned by Odisha IIDC and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, a public sector unit. Odisha Government is also the principal sponsor of Hockey India, Lancers will have no problem being part of the league. Status: They will continue

Dabang Mumbai: Like Kalinga Lancers, Dabang Mumbai is also in better condition to play when compared to the above teams. DoIT Sports Management also has a team in Pro Kabaddi League and the team is doing well there. However, do they have the appetite to continue with the league that was making losses? It remains to be seen. Status: Unsure, but could continue

FUTURE

SCHEDULE

Talking about the future of the tournament, we need to first see the dates available for the tournament. While the 2018 season was cancelled due to the unavailability of a window, things are not so different today.

The international hockey calendar today is a mess. Pro League, the premier hockey tournament of FIH runs for 4 months a year. Also, FIH has introduced a Nations Cup for teams that are not part of the Pro League. Then we have the European domestic club competition which foreign players want to be part of while EHL is today the biggest club competition of all. Australian players who formed the crux of most Hockey India League teams also have their domestic league Hockey One.

Looking at the current schedule, it is going to be extremely difficult to carve out a special window for Hockey India League. European Hockey is already at loggerheads with FIH. FIH Pro League taking away space from European domestic competition, they would not want Hockey India League to affect their competition. If something must be given, it will be the international calendar. Will FIH agree to it?

FORMAT

Another point that we need to understand is the future format. Hockey India said that the league will come back in the year 2019 with a five-a-side format. The franchisees will have both men’s and women’s teams and there will be three competitions- men, women and mixed. Hockey India in 2018 also said, four of the six franchises, were Okay with this format. However, since then we have not heard anything about this.

Also, there are many questions about the format proposed by Hockey India. Starting with what happens to 11 a side game which is currently the heart of the sport. Will we see the likes of Manpreet and Sreejesh in a five-a-side game and then also in 11-a-side? The second question is on the development of players. The camp that is set up by Hockey India consists of 60 players and later they are trimmed. Also, the camp does not include all the junior team players. If we have 6 franchises with ten players each, making it 60 players, what happens to the development of the junior players? Remember, the development of junior players was a key reason for Hockey India League.

What happens then to the foreign players? Would foreign players want to be part of this league? If yes, Indian players already take the required sixty spots, where will they play?

BATRA EFFECT

Former FIH president, Narinder Batra in an interview in 2021 said that the league will be resuming in 2022 or 2023. He said, ‘We are confident of starting Hockey India League by 2022 or 2023. Market sentiments are also down due to Covid-19. The league can only resume when team buyers have the money.’

Post-Covid, the business has changed. Investors or franchisee owners today will think twice before putting money into a league. Especially, when the league has given no return to the franchise owners in the past. Yes, there is the effect Olympics bronze medal, but has that improved the marketability of hockey players? The answer is not so clear. There have been few sponsorships for the players but not at a scale that can be used by franchisees and earn benefits out of it.

With teams just making losses with Hockey India and in their core business, it is unlikely that those teams will continue to fund teams and not see anything in return. Apart from Narinder Batra setting up the league, he also got the title sponsorship. The sponsorships from Hero and then Coal India as title sponsorship were his work. With Batra no longer associated with hockey anymore (officially), can Hockey India even get some sponsors to run the event?

Hockey India also has troubles of its own. The game is currently being run by CoA and the focus is completely on hosting the World Cup. With the focus on the World Cup, it is unlikely that the tournament will be conducted in 2023. Pro League and upcoming Olympics in 2024, there is no point in even holding a five-a-side competition. No player, Indian or foreign, will gain anything from five-a-side competition.

Model Sustainability

Another question that is making rounds on social media is- Is the HIL model sustainable?

The answer is yes, it is. We have proof of that- the Indian Premier League (cricket), Indian Super League (Football) and Pro Kabaddi League (Kabaddi) are prime examples of the model working.

However, the key difference between all these leagues and Hockey India League is governance. Governance plays a key role when it comes to running any professional league. IPL, ISL and PKL have all professionals running the league while it was the federation that ran Hockey India League.

HIL franchisees were not happy with the way the league was run. There was no support for the teams from the HIL board, and their grievances were not heard. Indian hockey for long has been known for its archaic way of functioning. My or the highway does not work when you have a franchisee model. Investors must be heard, and their issues must be resolved.

Another difference between these other leagues and Hockey India League is marketing. HIL’s marketing despite having big names as owners like John Abraham, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina was abysmal.

IPL, ISL and PKL all made wonderful use of the star power and ensured the league was received well by the audience. Indian Super League published a full-page advertisement in the newspaper to attract people to the game. The franchisees used people’s emotions about their states or cities and garnered support. This factor of belongingness was missing in Hockey India League. Apart from Kalinga Lancers, no one was able to use fans’ emotions and garner support for the team.

CONCLUSION

Looking at the above bleak situation of franchisee owners, change in format to five-a-side, and scheduling woes, it is difficult to conduct a tournament on such a scale. I would not be surprised if we do not see Hockey India League back for the next few years.

Whenever Hockey India League makes a comeback, it must focus on governance and marketing of the game, teams, and players. Then and only then will the league succeed.

(Notes:

1.Model sustainability point has been added to the post as an update to a few points or questions that were put forward on social media.

2. INR to USD was incorrectly converted to 12 million instead of 1.2 million)

<p>The post Hockey India League- The Past, and The Expected Future first appeared on Give Me Hockey.</p>