The Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2026 Women’s Mini Auction heated up in the afternoon session, with four teams battling it out for top talent and rising stars. Over 100 players entered the pool, and franchises like JSW Soorma Hockey Club, Ranchi Royals, SG Pipers, and Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers made smart moves within their Rs 2 crore salary cap. They mixed international pros with India’s promising young players to build strong squads for the Indian women’s hockey scene.
Excitement peaked with some big-money signings. Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers grabbed Argentina’s star defender Agustina Gorzelany for a whopping Rs 42 lakhs after a intense bidding war. JSW Soorma Hockey Club snapped up forward Maria Jose Granatto, another Argentine powerhouse, for Rs 34 lakhs, edging out rivals like Ranchi Royals. The Tigers also secured defender Valentina Raposo Ruiz de los Llanos for Rs 30 lakhs in another multi-team showdown.
A real standout moment came for Indian midfielder Monika, who went unsold last season but turned heads this time. The Tigers won her in a fierce battle against SG Pipers, making her the most expensive Indian player at Rs 15 lakhs. Defender Udita, last year’s top buy, returned to SG Pipers at her base price of Rs 10 lakhs. And in a feel-good family twist, midfielder Mahima Tete joined her sister Salima at JSW Soorma Hockey Club for just Rs 2 lakhs.
Here’s a quick look at the final women’s squads for each HIL 2026 team:
JSW Soorma Hockey Club kept a solid core including Savita, Salima Tete, and overseas stars like Penny Squibb. Their new additions: Mahima Tete (Rs 2 lakh), Maria Jose Granatto (Rs 34 lakhs), Vilar Del Dupuy (Rs 2 lakh), Shihori Oikawa (Rs 5 lakhs), and Sarah Robertson (Rs 10 lakhs).
Ranchi Royals held onto players like Nikki Pradhan and Jocelyn Bartram. Fresh signings include Lucina Von Der Heyde (Rs 14 lakhs), Agustina Albertarrio (Rs 15 lakhs), Agostina Alonso (Rs 15 lakhs), Lalthantluangi (Rs 3.1 lakhs), Maria Paula Ortiz (Rs 10 lakhs), Annu (Rs 2 lakhs), Valerie Magis (Rs 5 lakhs), and Bichu Devi (Rs 9.8 lakhs).
SG Pipers retained talents such as Navneet Kaur and Kaitlin Jaye Nobbs. Their new buys: Udita (Rs 10 lakhs), Thoudam Suman Devi (Rs 5 lakhs), Cristina Cosentino (Rs 5 lakhs), Costa Biondi Valentina Isabel (Rs 10 lakhs), Lola Riera Zuzuarregui (Rs 21 lakhs), Teresa Viana Ache (Rs 11 lakhs), Preeti Dubey (Rs 2 lakhs), and Juana Castellaro Morello (Rs 12.5 lakhs).
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers built around veterans like Vandana Katariya and Lalremsiami. Key additions: Monika (Rs 15 lakhs), Gurjit Kaur (Rs 2 lakhs), Puja Sahoo (Rs 2 lakhs), Agustina Gorzelany (Rs 42 lakhs), Valentina Raposo Ruiz de los Llanos (Rs 30 lakhs), Victoria Manuele (Rs 2 lakhs), Emma Findlay (Rs 5 lakhs), Noor Orpa de Baat (Rs 14 lakhs), Sukhveer Kaur (Rs 2 lakhs), Anjali Gautam (Rs 2 lakhs), and Sosha Carina Benninga (Rs 5 lakhs).
Fans of Indian women’s hockey can look forward to thrilling matches as these squads gear up for HIL 2026.
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