'Hockey India League Experience Will Help Me Break Into Senior Team': Delhi SG Pipers' Rohit

The Indian junior men’s hockey team defender Rohit was waiting anxiously on 14th October, the second day of Hockey India League auctions, for his name to come up along with his friends at the lunch hall in SAI Bengaluru. Rohit held back his initial fear of going unsold, only to see five teams engage in a bidding war for the 20-year-old. (More Hockey News)

He breathed a huge sigh of relief and wore a proud smile as Delhi SG Pipers snatched him up for INR 40 lakh, making him the costliest Indian player yet to make his senior debut.

“There was a slight fear in my head if any of the teams would bid for me but to see five teams battle to have me in their squad was a complete surprise. I won’t lie, as the bids got higher my smile got wider. It was a moment of great pride for me to go for a huge amount like that enough though I haven’t made my national team debut yet. It must mean the coaches and selectors have liked what they have seen on and off the turf,” Rohit said.

Rohit was a valuable prospect for most teams in the HIL owing to his dynamism on the pitch. The lad from Haryana is a talented drag-flicker and a fearless first rusher. Due to this do-or-die nature of his, Rohit has broken his jaw while rushing out to stop a penalty corner on two occasions. Even though he is unsure how many of his teeth are fake and how many are real, he remains ever-ready to step up and bail the team out of tricky situations.

“I have had mouth fractures twice as a first rusher, once when I was training in Chandigarh and once in a practice match against the senior team in camp. There was a slight hesitation to rush again after the injury but when I am playing and the team has to defend a penalty corner, I automatically feel like rushing out again because helping the team in that moment is more important, ‘Daant toh nakli baad me bhi lag jayenge (one can always have fake teeth implanted)’,” he said with a smile.

Rohit is often seen honing his drag-flicking skills after practice with a group of like-minded and hard-working players. This has contributed to his growth after making his junior national team debut at the 2022 Sultan of Johor Cup, where the team clinched the gold medal. He was an integral part of the 2023 Junior Asia Cup title-winning team, and the bronze medal-winning team at the Sultan of Johor Cup 2023 and 2024 as well.

Delhi SG Pipers boast a formidable squad in the revamped HIL. With former Indian men’s hockey team chief coach Graham Reid at the helm, supported by Shivendra Singh and the 'Wall of Indian Hockey' PR Sreejesh serving as the director of hockey, the team could be primed for success. Rohit will have the opportunity to learn from established overseas drag flickers like Tomas Domene from Argentina and Gareth Furlong from Wales, as well as Indian defender and drag flicker Varun Kumar.

"I cannot wait for the HIL to begin. It is a tremendous opportunity for me to play alongside and learn from some of the best in the business. I am confident that the experience I gain from the HIL will help me break into the senior national team. I am looking forward to a fantastic season with the Delhi SG Pipers," Rohit added.