HIL Mini Auction 2025: Hockey India League Auction Schedule, Venue, Details – All You Need to Know

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The anticipation is reaching its peak as the countdown begins for the Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2026 Men's and Women's Mini Auctions. The much-awaited event will take place on 24th September 2025 in New Delhi, where franchises will bid aggressively to secure some of the best talent in world hockey.

With high stakes, dynamic strategies, and budgetary calculations in play, the auctions promise all the drama off the turf that matches deliver on it.

HIL 2025 Mini Auction Schedule and Format

The auction proceedings will begin at 10:30 am IST, with the men's auction being conducted first, followed by the women's auction.

Each squad will consist of 20 players - 2 goalkeepers and 18 outfield players. Teams will have the option to sign a maximum of 7 overseas recruits, while ensuring a minimum of 3 Indian juniors, underlining opportunities for the sport's next generation.

Salary Cap and Player Pool

Men's Teams: INR 4 Crores

Women's Teams: INR 2 Crores

More than 100 men's players and over 100 women's players will be available for franchises to compete for.

The player base prices have been divided into three slabs:

INR 2 Lakhs

INR 5 Lakhs

INR 10 Lakhs

INR 2 Lakhs will serve as the minimum base price for both Indian and overseas players.

Auction Rules and Team Strategy

Franchises will only be allowed to bid if they have both sufficient budget and open playing slots. Teams must also strike a careful balance between their remaining purse and the number of players required to complete the squad.

This makes tactical decision-making critical, as every purchase will influence franchise options in later stages of the bidding.

Reflecting on the importance of the league, Hockey India President, Dr Dilip Tirkey, said: "It takes a lot of steadfast resolve and commitment for a federation to ensure the continued success of a league specially for a legacy sport like hockey. The core purpose of a league is to build inclusion and opportunity for the sport to grow. The Hero HIL 2026 edition is being planned with this resolve to keep player exposure, welfare and growth at the centre of our focus. While we do this through the year across our competitions calendar, the HIL allows a unique opportunity for healthy corporate participation to contribute and get involved in the sport."