THE HOCKEY INDIA League (HIL) has announced the official schedule for the 2025-26 season of the HIL Men’s and Women’s League.
The new season will see the men’s league played across three cities – Chennai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar – while the women’s league will once again take place entirely in Ranchi.
A total of 13 matches will be played in the Women’s HIL, while the Men’s HIL will feature 33 encounters. The Women’s League will feature players from over 10 foreign nations, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Argentina, Australia, Spain, and Great Britain, bringing a truly global flavour to the competition. Similarly, the Men’s League will showcase international stars from more than 10 countries, such as Argentina, Belgium, Germany, England, Spain, and Australia, ensuring world-class action and high-intensity hockey throughout the season.
The Men’s HIL, featuring eight teams, will kick off on January 3, 2026, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, with the opener between home side Tamil Nadu Dragons, and Hyderabad Toofans, setting the tone for nearly a month of world-class hockey action.
The eight teams in the men’s league are – 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 Women’s HIL, meanwhile, will begin on 28th December 2025 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi. The opening clash will see Ranchi Royals take on SG Pipers, followed by a week of competitive fixtures among the four participating teams – Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, JSW Soorma Hockey Club, and Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.
The Women’s HIL will follow a double round-robin format, with each of the four teams facing every other side twice. Following the league stage, the top two teams on the points table will qualify for the final on 10th January 2026, which will decide the champions of the Women’s Hockey India League 2026.
The Men’s HIL 2025-26 opening leg will be hosted in Chennai from 3 to 9 January at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, where teams will kick off their campaigns. The action will then move to Ranchi for the second leg, scheduled from 11 to 16 January at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium, before heading to Bhubaneswar for the third and final leg from 17 to 26 January at the iconic Kalinga Stadium.
Each team will face the others once in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. The knockout stage – comprising Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on 23 January, followed by Qualifier 2 on 25 January – will all take place in Bhubaneswar. The season will culminate in a grand finale on 26 January 2026 at the Kalinga Stadium, featuring the 3rd/4th place match earlier in the evening, followed by the much-anticipated Final to crown the new HIL champions.
