The Presidential election had been due to take place at this year's Congress in New Delhi but has now been pushed back by six months in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Batra's first four-year stint at the helm of the worldwide body was set to expire at the gathering of the FIH membership, initially scheduled for October 28 to November 1.

The FIH Executive Board said Batra's term, and those of four Executive Board members, would be prolonged until the elections next May.

In a statement, the FIH also confirmed the subsequent second term would be shortened from four years to three.

Should Batra - a member of the International Olympic Committee by virtue of his role as head of the Indian Olympic Association - be re-elected, his second stint would end in 2024.

The rule also applies to the four Executive Board members whose terms have been extended - Danae Andrada of Uruguay, Zambia's Hazel Kennedy, Erik Cornelissen of the Netherlands and Macau's Tayyab Ikram.

The decision from the Executive Board had been widely expected and the FIH said it had informed all 137 National Associations in April that the Congress was likely to be moved.

Batra had caused confusion earlier this week when he said his tenure had been extended until June 2021, before he was seemingly forced into a swift retraction and backtracking of his initial comments.

The 63-year-old Indian official has sparked controversy during his reign as FIH President and has been accused of not dedicating enough time to the worldwide governing body.

His critics in hockey believe he is prioritising his IOA Presidency over his FIH position.

Suggestions of financial difficulties for the FIH have also gathered pace in recent months and insidethegames revealed earlier this week that it had gone into "complete savings mode" to battle the financial impact of COVID-19.

Batra also helped oversee the launch of the FIH Hockey Pro League, a fledgling home-and-away competition which has effectively replaced the Champions Trophy and Hockey World League tournaments.

"Despite the current challenging times for most organisations, FIH has kept working hard to pursue its mission of developing hockey worldwide," Batra said. 

"I’m looking forward to the numerous tournaments and competitions ahead of us, which we are preparing with full dedication and passion with all National Associations involved.

"I’m also very pleased with the success of the online courses which FIH is delivering -  this is great for the future of our sport. 

"It is encouraging as well to see that hockey has resumed in some countries, of course with protective measures for the participants’ welfare. 

"Last but not least, I’d like to extend our gratitude to our broadcast and commercial partners for their continuous support."

Other Federations, including World Sailing, could also be forced to reschedule elections which had been planned for this year, while the International Olympic Committee announced yesterday it was considering holding its Session virtually.