HIL 2026: Full schedule, format, teams, match timings and live streaming

Hockey India on Monday announced the schedule for the 2026 edition of the Hockey India League, confirming dates and venues for both the men’s and women’s competitions. The men’s tournament will start on January 3, 2026, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, with Tamil Nadu Dragons taking on Hyderabad Toofans in the opening match.

 

The opening leg will run in Chennai from January 3 to 9, followed by fixtures in Ranchi from January 11 to 16, and Bhubaneswar from January 17 to 26. Meanwhile, the women’s competition will begin earlier, on December 28, 2025, at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda AstroTurf Stadium in Ranchi, where Ranchi Royals will face SG Pipers. The release of the full schedule marks another step in Hockey India’s plan to organise a structured season for both men’s and women’s leagues, showcasing top domestic and international talent. 

HIL 2026: Full list of teams

Men’s Teams

• JSW Soorma Hockey Club
• Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers
• Tamil Nadu Dragons
• Hyderabad Toofans
• Ranchi Royals
• Vedanta Kalinga Lancers
• SG Pipers (Delhi SG Pipers)
• HIL Governing Council (formerly UP Rudras)

Women’s Teams

• JSW Soorma Hockey Club
• Delhi SG Pipers
• Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers
• Ranchi Royals

HIL 2026: Format

The Hockey India League (HIL) 2026 will follow a multi-leg league-cum-knockout format for both the men’s and women’s competitions. Each event will feature six teams, with every franchise playing against all others in a round-robin stage spread across three legs hosted in Chennai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar. Teams will earn points for wins and draws, and the top four from the standings will advance to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will contest the final to determine the champions, while the remaining sides will play classification matches for placement.

HIL 2026: Full schedule

Men’s bracket 

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Jan 3, 2026	Tamil Nadu Dragons vs Hyderabad Toofans	Chennai	20:15
Jan 4, 2026	JSW Soorma Hockey Club vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Chennai	18:15
Jan 4, 2026	Vedanta Kalinga Lancers vs Ranchi Royals	Chennai	20:15
Jan 5, 2026	SG Pipers vs HIL GC	Chennai	20:15
Jan 6, 2026	Tamil Nadu Dragons vs JSW Soorma Hockey Club	Chennai	20:15
Jan 7, 2026	HIL GC vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Chennai	18:15
Jan 7, 2026	Hyderabad Toofans vs Ranchi Royals	Chennai	20:15
Jan 8, 2026	Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Vedanta Kalinga Lancers	Chennai	20:15
Jan 9, 2026	Hyderabad Toofans vs JSW Soorma Hockey Club	Chennai	18:15
Jan 9, 2026	Tamil Nadu Dragons vs SG Pipers	Chennai	20:15
Jan 10, 2026	Rest Day	-	-
Jan 11, 2026	HIL GC vs Vedanta Kalinga Lancers	Ranchi	18:15
Jan 11, 2026	Ranchi Royals vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Ranchi	20:15
Jan 12, 2026	SG Pipers vs Hyderabad Toofans	Ranchi	18:15
Jan 12, 2026	HIL GC vs Tamil Nadu Dragons	Ranchi	20:15
Jan 13, 2026	Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Tamil Nadu Dragons	Ranchi	20:15
Jan 14, 2026	Hyderabad Toofans vs Vedanta Kalinga Lancers	Ranchi	18:15
Jan 14, 2026	Ranchi Royals vs SG Pipers	Ranchi	20:15
Jan 15, 2026	JSW Soorma Hockey Club vs HIL GC	Ranchi	20:15
Jan 16, 2026	Ranchi Royals vs JSW Soorma Hockey Club	Ranchi	20:15
Jan 17, 2026	Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Hyderabad Toofans	Bhubaneswar	18:15
Jan 17, 2026	Vedanta Kalinga Lancers vs SG Pipers	Bhubaneswar	20:15
Jan 18, 2026	SG Pipers vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Bhubaneswar	18:15
Jan 18, 2026	Vedanta Kalinga Lancers vs Tamil Nadu Dragons	Bhubaneswar	20:15
Jan 19, 2026	HIL GC vs Ranchi Royals	Bhubaneswar	18:15
Jan 20, 2026	Hyderabad Toofans vs HIL GC	Bhubaneswar	18:15
Jan 20, 2026	Vedanta Kalinga Lancers vs JSW Soorma Hockey Club	Bhubaneswar	20:15
Jan 21, 2026	Tamil Nadu Dragons vs Ranchi Royals	Bhubaneswar	20:15
Jan 22, 2026	JSW Soorma Hockey Club vs SG Pipers	Bhubaneswar	20:15
Jan 23, 2026	Qualifier 1	Bhubaneswar	18:15
Jan 23, 2026	Eliminator	Bhubaneswar	20:15
Jan 24, 2026	Rest Day	-	-
Jan 25, 2026	Qualifier 2	Bhubaneswar	18:00
Jan 26, 2026	3rd/4th Place Match	Bhubaneswar	18:15
Jan 26, 2026	Final	Bhubaneswar	20:15

 

Women’s bracket 

Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Dec 28, 2025	Ranchi Royals vs SG Pipers	Ranchi	19:30
Dec 29, 2025	JSW Soorma Hockey Club vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Ranchi	19:30
Dec 30, 2025	Ranchi Royals vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Ranchi	19:30
Dec 31, 2025	SG Pipers vs JSW Soorma Hockey Club	Ranchi	19:30
Jan 1, 2026	SG Pipers vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Ranchi	19:30
Jan 2, 2026	Ranchi Royals vs JSW Soorma Hockey Club	Ranchi	19:30
Jan 3, 2026	JSW Soorma Hockey Club vs SG Pipers	Ranchi	17:30
Jan 4, 2026	Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers vs Ranchi Royals	Ranchi	16:00
Jan 5, 2026	JSW Soorma Hockey Club vs Ranchi Royals	Ranchi	18:00
Jan 6, 2026	SG Pipers vs Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	Ranchi	18:00
Jan 7, 2026	Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers vs JSW Soorma Hockey Club	Ranchi	16:00
Jan 8, 2026	SG Pipers vs Ranchi Royals	Ranchi	18:00
Jan 9, 2026	Rest Day	-	-
Jan 10, 2026	Final	Ranchi	20:15

HIL 2026: Live streaming and telecast details

When will HIL 2026 matches begin? 

The HIL 2026 matches for the men’s bracket will begin on January 3, 2026, while the women’s bracket matches will start on December 28, 2025.

 

What are the venues for HIL 2026 matches? 

The HIL 2026 matches for the men’s bracket will take place in Chennai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar, while all matches of the women’s bracket will be played in Ranchi.

 

When will the final of HIL 2026 be played? 

The HIL 2026 final for the men’s bracket will be played on January 26 in Bhubaneswar, while the women’s final will be held on January 10 in Ranchi.

 

Where to watch the live telecast of HIL 2026 matches in India? 

The live telecast of all HIL 2026 matches will be available on Sony Sports Network in India.

 

Where to watch the live streaming of HIL 2026 matches in India? 

The live streaming of all HIL 2026 matches will be available on the Sony LIV app and website in India.