The two-day men’s auction for Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 season got underway in Delhi on Sunday.
Eight teams went all in to buy the stars of India’s bronze medal winning squad from Paris Olympics in the beginning while a significant amount was also spent on roping in some of the best overseas players.
Here are the top five most expensive players from day 1 of the auction:
Defender - Harmanpreet Singh (Soorma Hockey Club - Rs 78 lakh)
Harmanpreet Singh is the captain, defender as well as the penalty corner specialist of the Indian team. He is regarded as one of the best drag flickers in the world and he proved it during the bronze medal winning campaign at the Paris Olympics as he scored 10 goals out of which seven came from PCs.
The 28-year-old Harmanpreet turned out to be the most expensive player on the opening day of the auction and will represent Soorma Hockey Club in the upcoming HIL season after the Punjab franchise, owned by JSW Sports, broke the bank and spent Rs 78 lakh to win an intense bidding war.
READ | HIL 2024-25: Soorma Hockey Club Full Squad
The Amritsar-born Harmanpreet made his Olympic debut in 2016. He was also instrumental in India’s third-place finish at the 2021-22 FIH Pro League where he ended as top-scorer with 18 goals.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he won a bronze and was instrumental in his team’s silver medal win at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He also captained his team to a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games and the Asian Champions Trophy in 2023 and 2024. Harmanpreet was named the men’s player of the year at FIH Player of the Year Awards for 2020-21.
Forward - Abhishek Nain (Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers - Rs 72 lakh)
Indian forward Abhishek Nain will play for Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers in the 2024-25 season of the Hockey India League. | Photo Credit: AP
Abhishek Nain plays as a forward for the national team. At Paris Olympics, the player from Sonipat scored one goal each against Belgium and Australia in the team’s last two group games. He made his international debut in February 2022 at the 2021-22 FIH Pro League.
At the 2022 Asian Games, he was part of the Indian team that won the gold. He was also part of the Indian team that won silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
In HIL 2024-25, the 25-year-old from Haryana will play for Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers after being picked for Rs 72 lakh.
Midfielder - Hardik Singh (UP Rudras - Rs 70 lakh)
Indian midfielder will play for UP Rudras in the 2024-25 season of the Hockey India League. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Hardik Singh is a midfielder in the Indian men’s hockey team.
Trained by his uncle and former India drag-flicker Jugraj Singh, Hardik made his senior team debut at the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy, where India secured the gold medal. Five years later, at the same tournament, he was one of the stars of another gold medal-winning campaign.
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Hardik, who hails from Khusropur village of Jalandhar district, was part of the Indian team that won the bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and he was also instrumental in the gold medal-winning campaign at the 2022 Asian Games.
In HIL 2024-25, the 26-year-old Hardik will represent UP Rudras as the Lucknow-based team bought him for Rs 70 lakh.
Defender - Gonzalo Peillat (Hyderabad Toofans - Rs 68 lakh)
German defender Gonzalo Peillat will play for Hyderabad Toofans in Hockey India League 2024-25 season. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Gonzalo Peillat was one of the lynchpins of Argentina’s historic triumph at the Rio Olympics in 2016 as he finished as the tournament’s top scorer. However, following a bitter team dispute, the defender was sidelined from the national side.
He switched nationality and made debut for Germany in 2022. In 2023, he was part of the team which won the World Cup in India.
At the Paris Olympics, where Germany finished as runner-up, Peillat scored four goals including one against Argentina in the quarterfinals.
In HIL 2024-25, the 32-year-old Peillat will play for Hyderabad Toofans after he was bought for Rs 68 lakh, making him the most expensive foreigner on day one of the auction.
Defender - Jip Janssen (Tamil Nadu Dragons - Rs 54 Lakh)
Dutch defender Jip Janssen will represent Tamil Nadu Dragons in Hockey India League 2024-25 season. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Jip Janssen is a 26-year-old defender who plays for the Netherlands. He was part of the team which won gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In Paris, he was the team’s top scorer with five goals.
In HIL 2024-25, Janssen will play for Tamil Nadu Dragons after the Chennai-based team bought him for Rs 54 lakh.
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