The Hockey India League (HIL) 2025-26 season will begin with the women’s tournament on December 28 in Ranchi, while the men’s league will start on January 3. The announcement was made on Saturday.
The men’s league will feature 33 matches played across Chennai, Ranchi, and Bhubaneswar. Meanwhile, the women’s edition, with 13 games, will be held entirely in Ranchi.
The men’s tournament will open at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, where Tamil Nadu Dragons will face Hyderabad Toofans in the season’s first match. Each team will play the others once in a single round-robin format, and the top four sides will qualify for the playoffs.
The playoffs will take place in Bhubaneswar, with Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on January 23, followed by Qualifier 2 on January 25. The final will be played on January 26, 2026, at the Kalinga Stadium, preceded by the third-place playoff.
There will be eight teams in the men’s leagueTamil Nadu Dragons, Hyderabad Toofans, Soorma Hockey Club, defending champions Rarh Bengal Tigers, Kalinga Lancers, Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, and the HIL Governing Council (HIL GC).
The HIL GC has taken over the UP Rudras franchise after the team’s owners withdrew. Team Gonasika (men) and Odisha Warriors (women) will not participate this season.
The women’s event will begin at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda AstroTurf Stadium in Ranchi, with Ranchi Royals taking on SG Pipers in the opening game. Four teams Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, Soorma Hockey Club, and Rarh Bengal Tigers will compete in a double round-robin format. The top two teams will meet in the final on January 10, 2026.
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Women’s Hockey India League 2025-26 Schedule
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| Dec 28 | Ranchi Royals vs SG Pipers | 7:30 PM | Ranchi |
| Dec 29 | Soorma Hockey Club vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 7:30 PM | Ranchi |
| Dec 30 | Ranchi Royals vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 7:30 PM | Ranchi |
| Dec 31 | SG Pipers vs Soorma Hockey Club | 7:30 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 1 | SG Pipers vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 7:30 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 2 | Ranchi Royals vs Soorma Hockey Club | 7:30 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 3 | Soorma Hockey Club vs SG Pipers | 5:30 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 4 | Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Ranchi Royals | 4:00 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 5 | Soorma Hockey Club vs Ranchi Royals | 6:00 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 6 | SG Pipers vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 6:00 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 7 | Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Soorma Hockey Club | 4:00 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 8 | SG Pipers vs Ranchi Royals | 6:00 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 10 | Final | 8:15 PM | Ranchi |
Men’s Hockey India League 2026 Schedule
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| Jan 3 | Tamil Nadu Dragons vs Hyderabad Toofans | 8:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 4 | Soorma Hockey Club vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 6:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 4 | Kalinga Lancers vs Ranchi Royals | 8:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 5 | SG Pipers vs HIL GC | 8:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 6 | Tamil Nadu Dragons vs Soorma Hockey Club | 8:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 7 | HIL GC vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 6:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 7 | Hyderabad Toofans vs Ranchi Royals | 8:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 8 | Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Kalinga Lancers | 8:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 9 | Hyderabad Toofans vs Soorma Hockey Club | 6:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 9 | Tamil Nadu Dragons vs SG Pipers | 8:15 PM | Chennai |
| Jan 11 | HIL GC vs Kalinga Lancers | 6:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 11 | Ranchi Royals vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 8:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 12 | SG Pipers vs Hyderabad Toofans | 6:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 12 | HIL GC vs Tamil Nadu Dragons | 8:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 13 | Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Tamil Nadu Dragons | 8:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 14 | Hyderabad Toofans vs Kalinga Lancers | 6:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 14 | Ranchi Royals vs SG Pipers | 8:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 15 | Soorma Hockey Club vs HIL GC | 8:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 16 | Ranchi Royals vs Soorma Hockey Club | 8:15 PM | Ranchi |
| Jan 17 | Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Hyderabad Toofans | 6:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 17 | Kalinga Lancers vs SG Pipers | 8:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 18 | SG Pipers vs Rarh Bengal Tigers | 6:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 18 | Kalinga Lancers vs Tamil Nadu Dragons | 8:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 19 | HIL GC vs Ranchi Royals | 6:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 20 | Hyderabad Toofans vs HIL GC | 6:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 20 | Kalinga Lancers vs Soorma Hockey Club | 8:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 21 | Tamil Nadu Dragons vs Ranchi Royals | 8:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 22 | Soorma Hockey Club vs SG Pipers | 8:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 23 | Qualifier 1 | 6:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 23 | Eliminator | 8:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 25 | Qualifier 2 | 6:00 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 26 | 3rd / 4th Place | 6:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
| Jan 26 | Final | 8:15 PM | Bhubaneswar |
