New Delhi: It was an eventful opening day of the Hockey India League Player Auction 2024/25 as 54 players, including 18 overseas players were sold here on Sunday. All eight franchises spent as many as 16 crores 88 lakhs 50 thousand on day 1 as the Indian Men’s Hockey team core players, along with overseas drag-flickers fetched big bids.
Gurjant Singh (19 lakh) was the first player who went under the hammer, while star drag-flicker and Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh (78 lakh) emerged as the costliest buy on the opening day of the HIL 2024/25 Player Auction. Both players were acquired by Soorma Hockey Club.
Abhishek became the second-most expensive buy of the day, acquired by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for 72 lakh, while Hardik Singh went to UP Rudras for 70 lakh. Germany’s Gonzalo Peillat was the most expensive overseas player as he was bought for 68 lakh by Hyderabad Toofans along with the Netherlands’ Jip Janssen who was acquired for 54 lakh by Tamil Nadu Dragons.
Other notable buys from the first lot included Amit Rohidas (for 48 lakh to Tamil Nadu Dragons), Jugraj Singh (for 48 lakh to Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers), Sumit (for 46 lakh to Hyderabad Toofans), and Araijeet Singh Hundal (for 42 lakh to Team Gonasika).
The Netherlands’ duo of Lars Balk and Duco Telgenkamp were among the day’s top buys. While Balk was acquired for 40 lakh by UP Rudras, Telgenkamp was bought for 36 lakh by Tamil Nadu Dragons.
Foreign goalkeepers – Ireland’s David Harte (for 32 lakh to Tamil Nadu Dragons), Germany’s Jean-Paul Danneberg (for 27 lakh to Hyderabad Toofans), and the Netherlands’ Pirmin Blaak (for 25 lakh to Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers) also fetched big bids.
List of top five buys from Day 1
Harmanpreet Singh (IND) – Soorma Hockey Club – 78 lakh
Abhishek (IND) – Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers – 72 lakh
Hardik Singh (IND) – UP Rudras – 70 lakh
Gonzalo Peillat (GER) – Hyderabad Toofans – 68 lakh
Jip Janssen (NED) – Tamil Nadu Dragons – 54 lakh
Purse remaining for franchises
1. Hyderabad Toofans – 204.00 lakh
2. Soorma Hockey Club – 162.00 lakh
3. Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers – 144.50 lakh
4. Delhi SG Pipers – 181.00 lakh
5. Tamil Nadu Dragons – 196.00 lakh
6. UP Rudras – 206.00 lakh
7. Kalinga Lancers – 257.00 lakh
8. Team Gonasika 161.00 lakh
List of Players Sold on Day 1
| Sr. No | Player | Team | Price (in Lakh) |
| 1 | Harmanpreet Singh | Soorma Hockey Club | 78.00 |
| 2 | Abhishek | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 72.00 |
| 3 | Hardik Singh | UP Rudras | 70.00 |
| 4 | Gonzalo Peillat (GER) | Hyderabad Toofans | 68.00 |
| 5 | Jip Janssen (NED) | Tamil Nadu Dragons | 54.00 |
| 6 | Amit Rohidas | Tamil Nadu Dragons | 48.00 |
| 7 | Jugraj Singh | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 48.00 |
| 8 | Sumit | Hyderabad Toofans | 46.00 |
| 9 | Manpreet Singh | Team Gonasika | 42.00 |
| 10 | Sukhjeet Singh | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 42.00 |
| 11 | Shamsher Singh | Delhi SG Pipers | 42.00 |
| 12 | Araijeet Singh Hundal | Team Gonasika | 42.00 |
| 13 | Jeremy Hayward (AUS) | Soorma Hockey Club | 42.00 |
| 14 | Vivek Sagar Prasad | Soorma Hockey Club | 40.00 |
| 15 | Rajkumar Pal | Delhi SG Pipers | 40.00 |
| 16 | Lars Balk (NED) | UP Rudras | 40.00 |
| 17 | Rohit | Delhi SG Pipers | 40.00 |
| 18 | Sanjay | Kalinga Lancers | 38.00 |
| 19 | Jarmanpreet Singh | Delhi SG Pipers | 38.00 |
| 20 | Duco Telgenkamp (NED) | Tamil Nadu Dragons | 36.00 |
| 21 | Nilakanta Sharma | Hyderabad Toofans | 34.00 |
| 22 | Dilpreet Singh | Kalinga Lancers | 34.00 |
| 23 | Amir Ali | Team Gonasika | 34.00 |
| 24 | Varun Kumar | Delhi SG Pipers | 34.00 |
| 25 | Krishan B Pathak | Kalinga Lancers | 32.00 |
| 26 | David Harte (IRL) | Tamil Nadu Dragons | 32.00 |
| 27 | Kane Russell (NZL) | UP Rudras | 30.00 |
| 28 | Lalit Kumar Upadhyay | UP Rudras | 28.00 |
| 29 | Jean-Paul Danneberg (GER) | Hyderabad Toofans | 27.00 |
| 30 | Mandeep Singh | Team Gonasika | 25.00 |
| 31 | Pirmin Blaak (NED) | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 25.00 |
| 32 | Florent van Aubel (BEL) | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 25.00 |
| 33 | Dayaan Cassiem (RSA) | Soorma Hockey Club | 25.00 |
| 34 | Selvam Karthi | Tamil Nadu Dragons | 24.00 |
| 35 | Vincent Vanasch (BEL) | Soorma Hockey Club | 23.00 |
| 36 | Suraj Karkera | Team Gonasika | 22.00 |
| 37 | Jeroen Hertzberger (NED) | Team Gonasika | 21.00 |
| 38 | Shilanand Lakra | Hyderabad Toofans | 21.00 |
| 39 | Boby Singh Dhami | Kalinga Lancers | 20.00 |
| 40 | Gurjant Singh | Soorma Hockey Club | 19.00 |
| 41 | Mandeep Mor | Kalinga Lancers | 19.00 |
| 42 | Gauthier Boccard (BEL) | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 18.00 |
| 43 | Nilam Sanjeep Xess | Team Gonasika | 17.00 |
| 44 | Oliver Payne (GBR) | Team Gonasika | 15.00 |
| 45 | Pawan | Delhi SG Pipers | 15.00 |
| 46 | Surender Kumar | UP Rudras | 14.00 |
| 47 | Hayden Beltz (AUS) | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 13.00 |
| 48 | Álvaro Iglesias (ESP) | UP Rudras | 12.50 |
| 49 | Rupinder Pal Singh | Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers | 12.50 |
| 50 | Gurinder Singh | Soorma Hockey Club | 11.00 |
| 51 | Yogember Rawat | Team Gonasika | 11.00 |
| 52 | Tomás Santiago (ARG) | Delhi SG Pipers | 10.00 |
| 53 | Kothajit Singh | Tamil Nadu Dragons | 10.00 |
| 54 | Birendra Lakra | Team Gonasika | 10.00 |
