Shrachi Bengal Tigers, the defending men’s Hockey India League champions, enter the new season with most of their key players retained amid the spectre of financial concerns of the revamped HIL and some teams late on paying its franchise players.
The team will be led by Jugraj Singh, who was the hero of last season’s final with a hat-trick, while German coach Valentin Altenburg returns to guide the squad.
In a HIL which this year sees fewer international players due to the Hockey World Cup and the qualifiers in February, the champions and runners-up Hyderabad Toofans look strong bets to bid for the title.
The team’s defence remains a strong point, with experienced goalkeeper James Carr, who has been pivotal in previous seasons. Alongside him, Vivek Lakra will provide additional support.
Defenders Gauthier Boccard, an Olympic gold medalist from Belgium, and Jugraj Singh, who was last season’s top scorer, will be instrumental in stabilizing the backline. The defensive unit will also feature Enrique Gonzalez De Castejon, Tommy Willems, and Parmod, all key figures in the team’s strategy.
The midfield will be anchored by the dynamic German duo of Tom Grambusch and Christopher Rühr, both of whom bring a wealth of experience, including two Olympic medals between them. They will be supported by a strong contingent of players, including Sean Findlay, Jaskaran Singh, Affan Yousuf, Atul Deep, and Pardeep Singh Sandhu.
Up front, the Bengal Tigers boast a star-studded attacking unit led by Sukhjeet Singh, who was named Player of the Tournament last season.
He will be joined by Ajinkya Jadhav, Gursewak Singh, and Abhishek, with young prodigy Ketan Kushwaha, the youngest player in HIL history, adding further excitement to the forward line.
On the other hand, Hyderabad Toofans, last season’s runners-up, are eager to go one step further in 2025-26. The team, under new head coach Pasha Gademan, will kick off their campaign on Jan 3 against Tamil Nadu Dragons, also in Chennai.
The Toofans will rely on a youthful but talented goalkeeping duo of Jean Paul Danneberg and Bikramjit Singh, who was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament in the previous season. The defence will be anchored by Belgium’s Arthur De Sloover. Amandeep Lakra, Devindar Sunil Walmiki, and promising young defenders Sundram Singh Rajawat and Mukul Sharma will also be key to the team’s defensive strength.
Midfield duties will be handled by Nilakanta Sharma, whose vast experience will complement Zach Wallace. They will be joined by Nic Woods, Michel Struthoff, Rajinder Singh, Sumit, and Rahim Aakib Sayyed, offering a mix of veteran presence and youthful energy.
In attack, the Toofans will count on Commonwealth Games gold medalist Jacob Anderson and New Zealand’s Tim Brand to lead the charge.
Alongside them, young stars like Shilanand Lakra and Arshdeep Singh, who was named Upcoming Player of the Tournament last season, will provide added flair. Arshdeep also impressed with four goals at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025, further strengthening the Toofans’ offensive capabilities.
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.
