Overview
- Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons face Hyderabad Toofans in the opener at 7:30 PM IST at Chennai’s Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium.
- The men’s HIL runs January 3–26 across Chennai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar, with a single round-robin leading to playoffs and a January 26 final at Kalinga Stadium.
- Eight teams compete, with defending champions Shrachi Bengal Tigers in the field; Ranchi Royals join as a new entrant and the HIL Governing Council team replaces UP Rudras after franchise changes.
- Matches air on Sony Sports Ten 1 and Ten 3 and DD Sports, with live streams on the HIL YouTube channel and Waves.
- The league opens a packed calendar featuring men’s FIH Pro League legs in Rourkela (Feb 10–15), Australia (Feb 21–25) and Europe in June, women’s World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad (Mar 8–14), the men’s World Cup in Belgium–Netherlands (Aug 14–30) and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya (Sept 19–Oct 4) with Olympic qualification on the line.