Hyderabad Toofans to take on Tamil Nadu Dragons in Hockey India League opener

The men’s Hockey India League 2026 begins in Chennai with Tamil Nadu Dragons facing Hyderabad Toofans in the opener. The league features eight teams, top Indian and foreign stars, and a new round-robin format before the final in Bhubaneswar on January 26

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Dragons will take on Hyderabad Toofans in the opening match as the men’s Hockey India League (HIL) kicks off at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

This is the second edition of the revived men’s Hockey India League, scheduled to be held across multiple cities, starting with Chennai, before moving to Ranchi and concluding in Bhubaneswar with the final on January 26. Hockey India has aimed to take the league to hockey-loving centres to ensure more fans experience the thrill of high-octane matches featuring top players from across the globe.

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The Toofans finished runners-up in the last edition, losing narrowly 3-4 to champions Shrachi Bengal Tigers. While Toofans will look to change their fortunes this season, Tamil Nadu Dragons will aim to start strongly after missing out on third place last season when they lost to JSW Soorma Hockey Club 2-3.

This season will have a single round-robin stage, with the top four teams advancing to the knockout rounds, unlike the previous edition which split the teams into two groups of four. In the playoffs, the top two teams will meet in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing to the final and the loser moving into Qualifier 2. The second finalist will be decided by the winner of Eliminator 1, contested between the third and fourth-ranked teams.

The eight teams in the men’s HIL include defending champions Shrachi Bengal Tigers, Hyderabad Toofans, JSW Soorma Hockey Club, SG Pipers, Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, Ranchi Royals, and HIL GC (formerly UP Rudras).

Top Indian stars to watch this season include India captain Harmanpreet Singh (JSW Soorma Hockey Club), Hardik Singh (HIL GC), Manpreet Singh (Ranchi Royals) and Rupinder Pal Singh, who returns to competitive hockey with SG Pipers. Junior World Cup bronze medallists will also be in action, with India Colts captain Rohit and Dilraj Singh turning out for SG Pipers, Amir Ali and Manmeet for Ranchi Royals, Sunil PR for Vedanta Kalinga Lancers, and Prince Deep Singh for Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons.

Foreign stars include Tom Boon (Ranchi Royals), Christopher Ruhr (Shrachi Bengal Tigers), Vincent Vanasch and Victor Wegnez (Soorma Hockey Club), Arthur Van Doren and Alexander Hendrickx (Vedanta Kalinga Lancers), and Sam Ward (HIL GC).

Tamil Nadu Dragons will take on Hyderabad Toofans on Saturday at 7:30 PM IST.