WHIL: Top five Indian players from the group stages

There was no shortage of action at the inaugural Women's Hockey India League, with all four franchises competing fiercely for the coveted trophy. 

While the veteran Indian internationals and the foreign players have, by all accounts, stood up to their reputation, there were plenty of promising young Indian players in action. 

Promoting young players and giving them the opportunity to train and play alongside the stalwarts of the game is one of the biggest ambitions of the league and it has lived up to that.

As expected, the Indian talents were on full display at the WHIL, and a few of them shone brightest.

Here are our picks for the best performers from India at the WHIL

Sonam, Soorma Hockey Club

Sonam has been a prolific goalscorer for Soorma Hockey Club this season. 

At just 19 years of age, she scored four goals for Soorma in the six matches she played. 

Despite being a teenager, she has shown immense maturity in being at the right place at the right time, and more importantly, she has made the right decisions in front of the goal. 

This fact is evident from the three open-play goals she has scored to go with her one penalty corner goal. 

She is surely one to watch out for and with age by her side, she is only going to get better. 

Hina Bano, Soorma Hockey Club

Alongside Sonam is another young sensation who has been brilliant for Soorma, and that is the 20-year-old Hina Bano. 

She has been superb in the right side of the Soorma attack, and whenever called upon. 

Although she scored fewer goals than Sonam, she was no less important in Soorma's run to the final, and the two goals she scored were special in their own right. 

For instance, the second of the two goals she scored came in the final league match against Bengal Tigers.

Receiving the ball inside the circle on the right, Hina Bano weaves around the defenders and cooly puts the ball in the back of the net. 

Watch the goal here: 

Lalremsiami, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers

For some players, goals might not be the only way they add value to the team and Lalremsiami is one of them for the Bengal Tigers.

Although she was unlucky in front of goal despite trying her best, she was relentless on the pitch, working on and off the ball for the team. 

Her work rate goes beyond linking up players in attack, in that she tirelessly drops back and ensures her team's defense is covered. 

The match against Odisha Warriors is when she was at her best, despite ending up on the losing side, she was one of the best players purely for the effort she put in defensively and in the attack. 

At just 24, Lalremsiami is a name we will be hearing a lot of with the Indian team in the coming years. 

Sakshi Rana, Odisha Warriors

Sometimes, there comes a player who will have you stunned for words, Sakshi Rana is amongst such a list of players from the inaugural WHIL. 

She was instrumental in Odisha's run to the final, showing great composure and calmness in the way she handled herself on the pitch. 

The most striking feature of all this is the fact that Sakshi is just 17, and is already turning heads through her performances at the WHIL. 

Alongside the likes of Hina Bano, Sonam, Sakshi forms the core of some of the most exciting prospects in Indian women's hockey, a fact that augurs well for the national team's future. 

Baljeet Kaur, Odisha Warriors

Baljeet Kaur, at 23, has been instrumental for Odisha Warriors in the inaugural edition of WHIL. 

Her ability to control the midfield, and create scoring opportunities has been pivotal for her team’s success. 

On top of that, she has also scored two goals for her side, showing that she has a goalscoring instinct as well. 

A midfielder who can dictate the game, and also has a knack for chipping in with goals is worth their weight in gold, and Baljeet certainly is one among them. 

With the emergence of so many promising young Indians from the WHIL, it is safe to say that Indian women's hockey is in safe hands.