New Delhi, Sep 24 (NationPress) The anticipation surrounding the Hockey India League (HIL) Mini Auctions reached a crescendo on Wednesday as franchises solidified their line-ups during a dynamic closed-door event in New Delhi. Liam Henderson, a foreign player, and India's junior sensation Vivek Lakra emerged as the standout acquisitions.

More than 100 male athletes went under the hammer, as teams made calculated and audacious moves to secure talent for the upcoming season. With a salary cap of Rs. 4 crore, each decision bore significant weight, resulting in rosters that showcased a harmonious mix of experienced international players, promising juniors, and specialized positions such as goalkeepers and drag-flickers.

The HIL Governing Council revealed on Wednesday that it has assumed control of the UP Rudras franchise for the forthcoming HIL 2026 season. Until a new owner is identified, the team will be operated by the Governing Council under the banner of ‘HIL Governing Council’.

The franchises participating in the auctions included: HIL Governing Council, Hyderabad Toofans, JSW Soorma Hockey Club, Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, Tamil Nadu Dragons, and Vedanta Kalinga Lancers.

Liam Henderson was the top acquisition, sold to Vedanta Kalinga Lancers for Rs. 42 lakh. Following closely was Sander de Wijn from the Netherlands, who was secured by Tamil Nadu for Rs. 36 lakh, while the HIL Governing Council acquired Thies Prinz for the same amount.

Indian junior goalkeeper Vivek Lakra, initially listed at a base price of Rs. 2 lakhs, turned heads as various franchises entered the bidding frenzy. Ultimately, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers clinched him for an impressive Rs. 23 lakhs, marking one of the day's most notable highlights.

Indian junior midfielder Adrohit Ekka, a highly coveted talent, ignited a fierce bidding war between JSW Soorma Hockey Club and Tamil Nadu Dragons, with the latter securing him for a remarkable Rs. 11 lakh.

Another promising player, Indian junior forward Ajeet Yadav, who entered the auction at Rs. 2 lakh, was acquired by HIL Governing Council for a staggering Rs. 11.5 lakh.

While Tamil Nadu Dragons successfully signed Indian junior midfielder Sushil Dhanwar at his base price of Rs. 2 lakh, Dutch defender Sander de Wijn attracted significant interest, leading to a fierce bidding battle between SG Pipers and Tamil Nadu Dragons before the latter sealed the deal at Rs. 36 lakh.

Australian forward Cooper Burns was sold to Vedanta Kalinga Lancers for Rs. 34.50 lakhs after a competitive bidding process with SG Pipers, while the Lancers secured Liam Henderson for Rs. 42 lakhs after outbidding the Pipers.

The youngest player at the auction, 14-year-old Indian forward Ketan Kushwaha, was bought by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for Rs. 2.5 lakhs, marking a significant milestone for the budding talent.

Veteran drag-flicker and former Indian Hockey Team captain Rupinder Pal Singh, who led Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers to victory last season, was acquired by SG Pipers for Rs. 12 lakh.

The auctions underscored franchises' growing emphasis on nurturing young Indian talent, with players like Ekka, Lakra, and Kushwaha drawing considerable attention. At the same time, established international players such as Sander de Wijn and Liam Henderson attracted hefty bids, highlighting the franchises' strategy to balance youth development with maintaining international expertise.

As the final bids were placed, the framework for the upcoming HIL 2026 season began to crystallize. Franchises now look forward to transforming their auction strategies into tangible performances on the field when the league kicks off.

Final squads of all men's franchises:

HIL Governing Council (Formerly UP Rudras): Retained – Prashant Barla (Jr Player), Priyobarta Talem (Jr Player), Manmeet Singh, Gurjot Singh, Prashant Kumar Chauhan, Surender Kumar, Hardik Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Sudeep Chirmako, Jasjit Singh Kular, Sebastian Dockier (Overseas), Kane Russell (Overseas), Tanguy Cosyns (Overseas), James Mazarelo (Overseas), James Albery (Overseas), Sam Ward (Overseas).

New buys – Ajeet Yadav (Rs. 11.50 Lakhs), Thies Prinz (Rs. 36 Lakhs), Rahul Yadav (Rs. 2 Lakh), Mohd Harris (Rs. 2 Lakh).

Hyderabad Toofans (All players were retained from original squad): Mukul Sharma, Irengbam Rohit (Jr Player), Bikramjit Singh (Jr Player), Sundaram Rajawat (Jr Player), Arshdeep Singh (Jr Player), Devindar Sunil Walmiki, Amandeep Lakra, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Rahim Aakib Sayyed, Rajinder, Shilanand Lakra, Talwinder Singh, Gonzalo Peillat (Overseas), Jean Paul Danneberg (Overseas), Nic Woods (Overseas), Jacob Anderson (Overseas), Arthur de Sloover (Overseas), Timothy Brand (Overseas), Zachary Wallace (Overseas).

JSW Soorma Hockey Club: Retained - Sukhvinder (Jr Player), Pradip Mandal (Jr Player), Vincent Vanasch (Overseas), Jeremy Hayward (Overseas), Nicolás Della Torre (Overseas), Victor Wegnez (Overseas), Nicolas Keenan (Overseas), Dayaan Cassiem (Overseas), Nicolas Poncelet (Overseas), Mohith H S, Harmanpreet Singh, Gurinder Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Harjeet Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Gurjant Singh, Maninder Singh, Pawan Rajbhar, Akashdeep Singh (Traded From UP Rudras).

New buy – Jeetpal (Rs. 3.2 lakh).

Ranchi Royals: Retained - Yashdeep Siwach, Amir Ali (Jr Player), Anmol Ekka (Jr Player), Araijeet Singh Hundal (Jr Player), Suraj Karkera, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Manpreet Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Mandeep Singh, Timothee Clement (Overseas), Timothy Howard (Overseas), Mustapha Cassiem (Overseas), Tom Boon (Overseas).

New buys – Manmeet Singh Rai (Rs. 2 lakh), Ashish Purty (Rs. 2 lakh), Loick Luypaert (Rs. 10 lakh), Sam Lane (Rs. 10 lakh), Jack Waller (Rs. 10 lakh), Ravneet Singh (Rs. 5 lakh).

SG Pipers: Retained - Manjeet, Thokchom Kingson Singh, Rohit (Jr Player), Ankit Pal (Jr Player), Dilraj Singh (Jr Player), Aditya Lalage (Jr Player), Sourabh Anand Kushwaha (Jr Player), Pawan, Jarmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Shamsher Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Willott KY (Overseas), Tomas Santiago (Overseas), Gareth Furlong (Overseas), Tomas Domene (Overseas), Jacob Draper (Overseas - Traded from Ranchi Royals Hockey).

New buys – Roman Duvekot (Rs. 10 lakh), Rupinder Pal Singh (Rs. 12 lakh), Bram Van Battum (Rs. 11 lakh).

Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers: Retained - Gursewak Singh (Jr Player), Hayden Beltz (Overseas), Gauthier Boccard (Overseas), James Carr (Overseas), Sean Findlay (Overseas), Enrique Gonzalez (Overseas - Traded from Vedanta Kalinga Lancers), Christopher Rühr (Overseas - Traded from Delhi SG Pipers), Jugraj Singh, Jaskaran Singh, Pradhan Poovanna Chandura, Affan Yousuf, Atul Deep, Pardeep Singh Sandhu, Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek.

New buys – Parmod (Rs. 5 lakh), Vivek Lakra (Rs. 23 lakh), Ketan Kushwaha (Rs. 2.5 lakh), Ajinkya Jadhav (Rs. 2 lakh), Tom Grambusch (Rs. 10 lakh).

Tamil Nadu Dragons: Retained - Pruthvi GM, Arun J (Jr Player), Prince Deep Singh (Jr Player), Chandan Yadav (Jr Player), Amit Rohidas, Anand Lakra, Mohd. Raheel Mouseen, Shesha Gowda, Selvam Karthi, Uttam Singh, Thomas Sorsby (Overseas), David Harte (Overseas), Moritz Ludwig (Overseas), Tom Craig (Overseas), Govers Blake (Overseas), Nathan Ephraums (Overseas).

New buys – Adrohit Ekka (Rs. 11 lakh), Sushil Dhanwar (Rs. 2 lakh), K Selvaraj (Rs. 2 lakh), Sander de Wijn (Rs. 36 lakh).

Vedanta Kalinga Lancers: Retained - Gursahibjit Singh, Rohit Kullu (Jr Player), Deepak Pradhan (Jr Player), Rosan Kujur (Jr Player), Krishan B Pathak, Sanjay, Partap Lakra, Moriangthem Rabichandra, Dilpreet Singh, Angad Bir Singh, Alexander Hendrickx (Overseas), Arthur van Doren (Overseas), Antoine Kina (Overseas).

New buys – Liam Henderson (Rs. 42 lakh), Amit Toppo (Rs. 2 lakh), Sunil PB (Rs. 2 lakh), Bobby Singh Dhami (Rs. 10 lakhs), Jed Snowden (Rs. 10 lakh), Cooper Burns (Rs. 34.50 lakh), Craig Marais (Rs. 10 lakh).

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