Top five big names who went unsold in Hockey India League 2026 auction

Big names fall short as Jake Whetton and Kothajit Singh remain unsold in Hockey India League auction

Eight franchises engaged in a bidding war during the Hockey India League 2026 mini-auction on Wednesday (September 24) in New Delhi. They secured the services of 30 players in pursuit of completing their 20-member squads.

Australian midfielder Liam Henderson emerged as the most expensive acquisition in the auction, as the Kalinga Lancers bought him for INR 42 Lakhs. Among the Indians, goalkeeper Vivek Lakra went for INR 23 Lakhs to the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.

Meanwhile, the 14-year-old Ketan Kushwaha was bought by the Tigers for INR 2.5 Lakhs, making him the youngest player in the tournament.

However, some notable players didn’t attract any bids from the franchises. Let’s discuss the five top players failing to find a spot in the roster for the 2026 edition of the HIL.

Rupinder Pal Singh, who captained Shrachi Bengal Tigers to the title last season, goes UNSOLD! 😮Live Blog: https://t.co/2KzeiFbwYq#Hockey #HILAuction pic.twitter.com/232SRUfxO1

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 24, 2025

The teams competing in the men’s HIL include Delhi SG Pipers, Hyderabad Toofans, Kalinga Lancers, Racnhi Royal Tuskers, Sharchi Rarh Bengal Tigers, Soorma Hockey Club, and Tamil Nadu Dragons. The eighth team is managed by Hockey India after UP Rudras withdrawal.

#5 Jobanpreet Singh

Midfielder Jobanpreet Singh was bought by UP Rudras for INR 7.5 lakhs in last year’s auction. He scored two goals (1 field goal and 1 penalty corner) in the 2024-25 edition of HIL, as the Rudras finished fifth with five wins in 10 games. He was also named Player of the Match in one of the games.

However, Jobanpreet could not find any takers in the auction on Wednesday for his base price of INR 2 lakhs.

#4 Gurmukh Singh

Entering the auction at his base price of INR 2 Lakhs, Gurmukh Singh again went unsold in the auction. The development comes despite his stellar performances in the Senior National Championship 2025 tournament in April.

Representing Chandigarh, Gurmukh scored eight field goals and emerged as the second-highest goal-scorer in the tournament.

ALSO READ: Men’s Hockey India League Auction: Vivek Lakra most expensive Indian player; Liam Henderson fetches highest bid

#3 Jake Whetton

Australian midfielder Jake Whetton played for SG Pipers in the last edition, where he scored a solitary goal. The three-time Olympian co-captained the franchise as well.

As the side failed to win even a solitary game, the Pipers went through a major overhaul, where they released Whetton. On D-day, no franchises expressed their interest in adding the veteran to their squads.

#2 Kothajit Singh

Kothajit Singh was part of India’s silver medal-winning team in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and gold medal-winning squad in the 2014 Asian Games. In the last edition, he was bought by Tamil Nadu Dragons for his base price of INR 10 lakh.

After not being impressed by his performances, the Dragons released Kothajit ahead of the auction. Unfortunately, he went unsold in the HIL auction as well.

Also Read: Hockey India League 2026 Squads: Check updated full teams in women’s HIL

#1 Yogember Rawat

Yogember Rawat was a part of Team Gonasika in the last edition, as the franchise bought him for INR 11 lakhs. However, he could appear in only three games in the season.

Rawat emerged as the finest player in the Senior National Championship 2025 with nine goals to his name. After Team Gonasika pulled out of the tournament, he entered the auction, where he went unsold.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram