Bansari Solanki

Bansari Solanki
Personal information
Born	24 May 2001 (age 25); Surat, Gujarat, India
Sport
Sport	Field hockey
Position	Goalkeeper
Years
Senior career
Years	Team
–	NCE Delhi
–	Income Tax
National team
Years	Team
2022–	India
2023–	India Hockey5s
Medal record
Women's field hockey; hockey5s
Representing India
Asia Cup
Hockey5s World Cup
Hockey5s Asia Cup

Bansari Solanki (born 24 May 2001) is an Indian field hockey player and a member of the Indian national team. She is a goalkeeper and plays for Income Tax and Centre of Excellence in the domestic tournaments. She was part of the winning SG Pipers team in the Hero Hockey India league 2025-26.

Early life and education

She is from Surat, Gujarat. Her father is an engineer. She started playing hockey in Class 8 and was a defender. When the school did not have a goalkeeper for a tournament, her school coach persuaded her to don the pads and she well. She was spotted by Dhanraj Pillay, who was then the executive director of the hockey programme at the Sports Authority of Gujarat. then she shifted to Vadodara. By 17 years, she moved to Delhi to train under Romeo James at the National Hockey Academy. She completed her Bachelors in Business Administration.

Career

Solanki represented SG Pipers team in the 2025–26 Hockey India League. In the final match, she did well as a goalkeeper to help Pipers lift their maiden league title. She won the best goalkeeper of the tournament award. During the league she was coached by former Indian goalkeeper Helen Mary.

She first played for Senior India Hockey5s team in August 2023 when they won the gold medal in the Hockey5s Asia Cup at Salalah in Oman. She was declared as the 'Best Rising Goalkeeper' of the event. Then in January 2024, she represented India which won a silver medal in the 2024 Women's FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Muscat. She also made her debut for the Senior India team, playing in the 2024–25 Women's FIH Pro League.

In 2025, she travelled for the Asia Cup in Gongshu, China, but did not get to play any matches.

According to hockey historian K Arumugam, she is the first female hockey player from Gujarat to play for India.

References

↑ "Bansari Solanki - The History Book of Indian Hockey". 18 December 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
1 2 "Solanki Bansari | India hockey player". International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
1 2 "Bansari Solanki - Hockey India". www.hockeyindia.org. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
1 2 3 Prabhu, Chandra (27 December 2025). "Keeper with high ceiling: Pipers assistant coach backs Solanki to soar". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
↑ "Bansari Solanki, keeper of SG Pipers' faith". The Times of India. 13 January 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
↑ "I was mentally calm and present in the moment: Bansari Solanki". mint. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
↑ "Spotted by Dhanraj Pillay, India women team's goalkeeper Bansari Solanki puts Gujarat on hockey map". The Indian Express. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

[1] "Bansari Solanki - The History Book of Indian Hockey". 18 December 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

[:0-2] 1 2 "Solanki Bansari | India hockey player". International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

[:1-3] 1 2 "Bansari Solanki - Hockey India". www.hockeyindia.org. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

[:2-4] 1 2 3 Prabhu, Chandra (27 December 2025). "Keeper with high ceiling: Pipers assistant coach backs Solanki to soar". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

[5] "Bansari Solanki, keeper of SG Pipers' faith". The Times of India. 13 January 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

[6] "I was mentally calm and present in the moment: Bansari Solanki". mint. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

[7] "Spotted by Dhanraj Pillay, India women team's goalkeeper Bansari Solanki puts Gujarat on hockey map". The Indian Express. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.