The tournament has been robbed of some sheen by the withdrawal of last year's winners Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), and would see eight other outstating teams battling it out for supremacy along with four local challengers.
Mumbai Hockey Association Limited is conducting the tournament under the auspices of Hockey India and MHAL President Mangha Singh Bakshi said that BPCL had pulled out because maximum number of their players are on national duty.
CAG (Delhi), former champions Indian Oil, Bengaluru; Army XI (Delhi), South Central Railway (Secunderabad), Punjab and Sind Bank (Delhi), Punjab National Bank, Delhi XI and Hockey Karnataka are the eight outstation outfits in the fray.
The local challenge would be from Mumbai Super League champions Indian Navy, Western Railway, Central Railway and Bombay Republicans.
The 12 teams have been divided into four groups of three each and the top two teams from each pool will qualify for the knock-out quarter-finals.