~ The defending champions will look to retain their title with Jugraj Singh appointed as captain, while Hyderabad Toofans also aim to go the distance~
New Delhi, 31 December 2025: As the Men’s Hero Hockey India League (HIL) gears up for the 2026 season, the finalists from the previous season – Shrachi Bengal Tigers and Hyderabad Toofans – are preparing to kickstart their campaigns on a strong note with both teams boasting a solid blend of experienced players and young talent.
Shrachi Bengal Tigers, the defending champions, head into the new season with most of their core squad retained from last season. Jugraj Singh, the hat-trick hero from last season’s Final will lead the team this time around, with German Head Coach Valentin Altenburg at the helm.
The team will begin their Hero HIL 2025-26 campaign on 4 January against JSW Soorma Hockey Club in Chennai. The vastly experienced goalkeeper James Carr will be their first line of defence with Vivek Lakra playing second fiddle to him.
Gauthier Boccard, an Olympic Gold medallist in 2020 and Silver medallist in 2016 with Belgium will be trusted to marshal the defensive unit alongside Jugraj Singh, who was also the top-scorer in the Men’s Hero HIL last season. Alongside them, Enrique Gonzalez De Castejon, Tommy Willems and Parmod will also be trusted with the responsibility to ensure Shrachi Bengal Tigers stay solid at the back.
The two-time Olympic medallist German duo of Tom Grambusch and Christopher Rühr will anchor the midfield with support from the likes of Sean Findlay, Jaskaran Singh, Affan Yousuf, Pradhan Poovanna Chandura, Atul Deep and Pardeep Singh Sandhu.
Last season’s Player of the Tournament, Sukhjeet Singh, will be spearheading the team’s attack with Ajinkya Jadhav, Gursewak Singh, and Abhishek. The Shrachi Bengal Tigers’ forward line also consists of 14-year-old prodigy Ketan Kushwaha, the youngest player in the history of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad Toofans will be hoping to go one step further as compared to their previous campaign. The runner ups from last season will begin the new season on 3 January against Tamil Nadu Dragons in Chennai. With Pasha Gademan appointed as their head coach, the team boasts a young goalkeeping group with Jean Paul Danneberg and Bikramjit Singh, who was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament in the last edition of the Men’s Hero HIL.
Olympic Gold medallist in 2020, Belgium defender Arthur De Sloover will be their pillar in defence with support from the likes of Amandeep Lakra and Devindar Sunil Walmiki, along with young players such as Sundram Singh Rajawat and Mukul Sharma.
In the heart of the midfield, Nilakanta Sharma adds an abundance of experience with Olympic Bronze medallist Zachary Wallace also in their ranks. Nic Woods and Michel Struthoff add a mix of experience and exuberance, along with Rajinder Singh, Sumit and Rahim Aakib Sayyed.
With the likes of Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Jacob Anderson and New Zealand’s Tim Brand in the forward line, the Hyderabad Toofans have enough experience up front. Shilanand Lakra will bring some dynamism to the mix, as will Arshdeep Singh, who was the Upcoming Player of the Tournament last season and also made his mark with four goals at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025.
Shrachi Bengal Tigers Squad: Vivek Lakra, James Carr (New Zealand), Tommy Willems (Belgium), Gauthier Boccard (Belgium), Parmod, Enrique Gonzalez De Castejon, Jugraj Singh (Captain), Christopher Ruhr (Germany), Tom Grambusch (Germany), Sean Findlay (New Zealand), Jaskaran Singh , Affan Yousuf , Pradhan Poovanna Chandura, Atul Deep, Pardeep Singh Sandhu, Ajinkya Jadhav, Ketan Kushwaha, Gursewak Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek.
Hyderabad Toofans Squad: Jean Paul Danneberg (Germany), Bikramjit Singh, Mukul Sharma, Amandeep Lakra, Devindar Sunil Walmiki, Arthur De Sloover (Belgium), Sundram Singh Rajawat, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Zachary Wallace (Great Britain), Rajinder Singh, Michel Struthoff (Germany), Nic Woods (New Zealand), Rahim Aakib Sayyed, Tim Brand (New Zealand), Shilanand Lakra, Irengbam Rohit Singh, Talwinder Singh, Jacob Anderson (New Zealand), Arshdeep Singh.
All matches of the Hero Hockey India League will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 and DD Sports. The matches will also be live-streamed on Waves and the Hockey India League YouTube channel.
