Hockey India League to kickstart on December 28 – Complete Schedule

The 2025-26 season of the Hockey India League is all set to commence on December 28 later this year with the women's competition, Hockey India announced on Saturday.

The men's competition, meanwhile, will begin from 3 January, 2026.

The new season will see the men’s league played across three major cities – Chennai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar. The women’s league, on the other hand, will once again take place entirely in Ranchi.

The men’s Hero HIL will kick off at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai with an exciting opener between home side Tamil Nadu Dragons and Hyderabad Toofans, setting the tone for nearly a month of world-class hockey action.

The men’s league will feature eight teams – 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.

Meanwhile, the women’s Hero HIL will begin 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.

2025-26 Men’s HIL Format:

The opening leg of 2025-26 Men's HIL 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 with the Final on 26 January 2026 at the Kalinga Stadium, featuring the 3rd/4th place match earlier in the evening.

The 2025-26 Men's HIL will witness a total of 33 matches.

2025-26 Women's HIL Format

The 2025-26 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 competition.

The women's HIL will have a total of 13 matches.

Speaking on the announcement, Hockey India League Governing Committee Chairperson Dr. Dilip Tirkey said, “After the success of Hero Hockey India League last season, I assure fans from across the country top quality of competition as all our teams gear up with some of the world's biggest names in the sport. This year, we have expanded the men's league to three different cities to ensure everyone can enjoy the action right from the venues."

2025-26 Men's HIL schedule

2025-26 Women's HIL Schedule