(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Kalinga Lancers made some smart moves at the Hero Hockey India League auction in New Delhi, bolstering their squad for the 2026 season kicking off in January. The team filled three Indian slots and four overseas spots, mixing fresh talent with proven performers to build a competitive lineup.
They started strong by grabbing Australian goalkeeper Jed Snowden for Rs 10 lakh. The 24-year-old just debuted for Australia’s senior team and helped them win the recent Oceania Cup. Next up, the Lancers snapped up homegrown star Amit Kumar Toppo at his base price of Rs 2 lakh. Toppo shone as part of Odisha’s first-ever title-winning side at the 2024 Men’s Senior Hockey National Championship.
Bidding heated up when the Lancers outmaneuvered Delhi SG Pipers to sign Australian forward Cooper Burns for Rs 34.5 lakh. This 23-year-old earned Most Valuable Player honors in the Hockey Australia League and made his international debut in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25.
The team then added rising Indian defender Sunil PB for Rs 2 lakh. He played a key role in Karnataka’s gold-medal win at the National Games this year and just earned a spot on India’s junior squad for the Sultan of Johor Cup.
Overseas picks kept coming with Australian forward Craig Marais joining for Rs 10 lakh. Marais broke into Australia’s senior team in 2024 and has stuck around as a regular. After another fierce battle with Delhi, the Lancers landed Australian midfielder Liam Henderson—their priciest buy at Rs 42 lakh. Henderson anchors Australia’s core group and contributed big to their Oceania Cup success.
To round things out, they brought back forward Boby Singh Dhami, a familiar face from last season, for Rs 10 lakh.
Heading into the auction, Kalinga Lancers had already locked in 13 players, including three overseas stars. This core blends international firepower with Indian heroes from recent triumphs, plus young standouts for long-term growth.
Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Vedanta Aluminium, shared his thoughts: "The HIL auction let us build our squad with focus and strategy. We kept our strengths intact and targeted players to fill gaps. This balanced team is set to compete hard and chase the championship."
Team Manager Subbaiah added, "We retained our core from last year and just needed to plug a few holes. These new additions are talented performers with strong track records."
Assistant Coach Kariappa chimed in: "Retaining half the team did most of the work. We got the players we targeted, and we’re excited to team up with this great franchise."
Here’s the full Kalinga Lancers squad for Hero HIL 2026:
Indian Players: Krishan B Pathak (Goalkeeper), Sanjay (Defender), Partap Lakra (Defender), Rohit Kullu (Defender), Rabichandra Moirangthem (Midfielder), Rosan Kujur (Midfielder), Dilpreet Singh (Midfielder), Angab Bir Singh (Forward), Deepak Pradhan (Forward), Gursahibjit Singh (Forward), Amit Kumar Toppo (Midfielder), Sunil P B (Defender), Boby Singh Dhami (Forward).
Overseas Players: Alexander Hendrickx (Defender), Arthur Van Doren (Defender), Antoine Kina (Midfielder), Jed Snowden (Goalkeeper), Cooper Burns (Forward), Craig Marais (Forward), Liam Henderson (Midfielder).
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