Hockey India League Player Auction 2024/25, Day 1: Harmanpreet, Abhishek, Hardik fetch big bids

Harmanpreet SinghNew 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