The revamped Hockey India League (HIL) is making a comeback this year with some changes. Over 1,000 Indian players and 500 international players are interested in joining. About 30 companies want to buy teams. However, no players from Pakistan will participate.
The league will have a bigger prize for players, stricter rules for teams, and games at only two places instead of many.
One rule is that only players from countries in the top 15 in the world can join the auction. Pakistan is ranked 16th, so their players cannot participate.
A Hockey India official said they didn't know Pakistan was not in the top 15 when they made the rule. They first wanted only players from the top 10 countries. But they changed it to top 15 after talking about it.
Nine Pakistani players were in the first HIL in 2013 but were sent back after protests over Indian soldiers' deaths. After that, no Pakistani players joined again.
The league will happen from December to February, approved by the International Hockey Federation. Many companies, like Adani and Jindal Sports, want to buy teams. They are finalizing owners who will pay Rs 7 crore each year for men's teams and Rs 3 crore for women's teams. The league will start in Ranchi and Rourkela for two years to save money.
