Shamsher Singh and Jake Whetton will co-captain Delhi SG Pipers in HIL

India international Shamsher Singh and veteran Australian player Jake Whetton will be the Delhi SG Pipers co-captains in the upcoming Hockey India League.

Delhi is one of the eight franchises that will participate in the Hockey India League which is coming back after a hiatus of seven years.

In an interesting move, Delhi has gone for two captains- one young Indian captain with more than 100 caps and one experienced Australian player who has played in HIL previously.

Talking about the concept of two captains, Delhi's Head coach Graham Reid said that being involved with both players in the past has been one of the reasons to choose them as the captains.

"I have always believed in the leadership groups and worked both with Shamsher and Whetton in the past," said Graham.

"I was lucky to be Indian Chief Coach when Shamsher was included in the Indian national camp back in 2019, he is a natural pick for co-captaincy, bringing an inner calm and confidence to the team," Graham said about Shamsher.

On the other hand, Graham has seen the rise of Jake Whetton from a youngster to an experienced campaigner he is today.

"Having been involved with the Kookaburras when Jacob first debuted in 2011, I have watched him grow into the accomplished player and leader we see today. His extensive experience on the international stage, including an Olympic silver medal and two Olympic appearances, has shaped him into a leader," said Graham about Jake Whetton.

Meanwhile, Shamsher is excited about this new opportunity and will look to express himself as a leader.

"I will take the responsibility of captain and express myself. I am very excited to play in the Hockey India League. It will be a good learning curve for us. I have worked with Graham before and know his style of play which will help us in the league," said Shamsher.

Jake Whetton will be returning to the Hockey India League after seven years having previously played for Punjab Warriors from 2014 to 2017.

"I am excited to return to the league and play alongside the Indian players," Jake said on his appointment.

Delhi SG Pipers will start their Hockey India League season against Team Gonasika in the season opener on the 28th of December 2024 in Rourkela.