Sardar Singh to go Under Hammer at Hockey India League Auction

India captain Sardar Singh and drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh will be the star attractions at the Hockey India League (HIL) auction here on Thursday, as the six franchises look to complete their respective squad for the next two editions of the lucrative tournament. (Bob Hayton to conduct player auction)

Sardar and Rupinder will be among the 135 Indians who will be up for grabs. The 2015 HIL Auction will also witness 137 foreign players, including top stars like Jamie Dwyer, Nicolas Jacobi, Andrew Hayward, Kieran Govers and Lucas Rey from across the globe going under the hammer. (Oltmans impressed by new scoring system in HIL)

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) CEO Kelly Fairweather will be presnt at the auctions. Besides him, each of the team's owners along with the respective coaches would be present to select the best possible combination for their teams. (HI boss Batra warns Pakistani players)

Going by the new regulations, franchises can build a team of 20 players, which allows each team to have 12 Indian players and eight foreign players in the squad.

Narinder Batra, chairman of HIL and president of Hockey India, said, "It will be an exciting moment to see the franchises targeting the finest players to ensure a successful bidding session. What will play a key role is the new regulations introduced just a couple of days back.

"If one field goal results in two goals, I think the strategy will be to have the best strikers in the team. So I am sure there will be last moment thinking in terms of targeting the best players."