Sultans, led by ever-dependable Dilip Tirkey, were crowned the champions of the inaugural PHL at home ground,[2] held at the sprawling Gachibowli Sports Complex, with penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas and Waseem Ahmad who helped the team score crucial wins with their combined moves in the first year.
[3][4] In the second year too, Hyderabad Sultans played well and were in contention for the final berth, but were edged out by Bangalore Lions on goal average.
They won five out of the eight matches and had 13 points, just one less than the table toppers Chandigarh Dynamos and Hyderabad Sultans finished third in league.
They also lost their skipper Dilip Tirkey and many experienced players who joined Orissa Steelers, as they were promoted to the Premier division.
The team also had a new coach in Madhukaran who was assisted by Alphonse Lazarus and they finished fourth, qualifying for play-off where they lost to Chandigarh Dynamos.