The Indian cricket landscape is witnessing an explosion of T20 leagues, each aiming to carve its niche. In 2023, intending to nurture young cricketing talent, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) organised the inaugural season of the UP Cricket League.
It is a men’s Twenty20 cricket league contested by six city-based franchise teams.
The organizers hold the tournament in a double round-robin and playoff format.
UP Cricket League: Participating Teams and Captains
The UP Cricket League, a prominent regional cricket tournament, showcases an array of competitive teams from across the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Each of the six teams participating in the league is captained by a skilled player.
Here is a table enlisting the teams and their captains.
| TEAM | CITY | CAPTAIN |
| Gorakhpur Lions | Gorakhpur | Dhruv Jurel |
| Kanpur Superstars | Kanpur | Sameer Rizvi |
| Kashi Rudras | Varanasi | Karan Sharma |
| Noida Super Kings | Noida | Nitish Rana |
| Lucknow Falcons | Lucknow | Priyam Garg |
| Meerut Maverick | Meerut | Rinku Singh |
UP T20 Cricket League: First Edition (2023)
The first edition of the UP T20 cricket league was played between 27th August and 16th September 2023 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
After a gripping series of thirty-three matches, Kashi Rudras emerged as the victorious team while Meerut Mavericks settled with the position of the first runners-up. They lost to Kashi Rudras by 7 wickets.
Captain Karan Sharma won the title of Player of the series and Atal Bihari Rai scored the most wickets.
Green Park Stadium in Kanpur served as the venue for the league.
UP T20 Cricket League: Second Edition (2024)
The second season of UP Cricket League is yet to begin. The organizers have scheduled the matches to begin from 25th August to 14th September 2024.
This year’s league venue has been shifted to the state-of-the-art Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, also known as the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
All six teams from the previous league will be participating in the tournament, competing for the winning trophy.
The city’s growing cricket fanbase will be eagerly waiting to watch this power-filled league.
Current Squad Details
All six teams are power-packed with talented cricketers pumped up for the season’s T20 league. Here is a list of the current squad of the UP T20 Cricket tournament:
| Gorakhpur Lions | Kanpur Superstars | Kashi Rudras |
|---|---|---|
| Dhruv Jurel | Sameer Rizvi | Karan Sharma |
| Abhishek Goswami | Vineet Panwar | Shiva Singh |
| Shivam Sharma | Mohsin Khan, | Atal Behari Rai |
| Siddharth Yadav | Shoaib Siddiqui | Shivam Mavi |
| Yash Dayal | Shaurya Singh | Jasmer Dhankar |
| Saurabh Kumar | Adarsh Singh | Prince Yadav |
| Ankit Chaudhary | Aaqib Khan | Yashovardhan Singh |
| Yashu Pradhan | Shubham Mishra | Almas Shaukat |
| Vaibhav Chaudhary | Nadeem | Arnanav Baliyan |
| Akshdeep Nath | Mohammad Aashiyan | Vansh |
| Ankit Rajpoot, | Rishabh Rajput | Sunil Kumar |
| Aryan Jurel | Ankur Malik | Harsh Payal |
| Abdul Rehman | Inzamam Hussain | Ajai Singh |
| Hardeep Singh | Osho Mohan | Ghanshyam Upadhiya, |
| Rohit Dwivedi | Kuldeep Kumar | Manish Singh Solanki, |
| Ansh Dwivedi | Mukesh Kumar | Karan Chaudhary, |
| Vineet Dubey | Asif Ali | Mohammad Shavaz |
| Kaartikaya Singh | Sudhanshu Sonkar | Shivam Bansal |
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| Lucknow Falcons | Meerut Mavericks | Noida Super Kings |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar (c) | Rinku Singh (c) | Nitish Rana (c) |
| Priyam Garg | Swastik Chikara | Prashant Veer |
| Aaradhya Yadav | Uvaish Ahmed | Aditya Sharma |
| Harsh Tyagi | Rituraj Sharma | Bobby Yadav |
| Kritagya Kumar Singh | Divyansh Joshi | Mohd. Sharim |
| Sameer Choudhary | Vijay Kumar | Kavya Teotia |
| Samarth Singh | Yash Garg | Piyush Chawla |
| Vipraj Nigam | Md. Jamshed Alam | Mohd. Amaan |
| Ankur Chauhan | Yogendra Doyla | Naman Tiwari |
| Prashant Choudhary | Dipanshu Yadav | Shanu Saini |
| Kamil Khan | Akshay Sain | Kunal Tyagi |
| Parth Palawat | Shubhanker Shukla | Kartikeya Yadaa |
| Kirti Vardhan Upadhyay | Rajat Sanserwal | Ajay Kumar |
| Shubhang Raj | Yuvraj Yadav | Vishal Pandey |
| Akshu Bajwa | Divyansh Rajput | Rahul Rajpal |
| Parv Singh | Zeeshan Ansari | Manav Sindhu |
| Aditya Kumar Singh | Shiven Malhotra | Rahul Raj |
| Madhav Kaushik | Shivam Saraswa |
UP Cricket League Auction
Uttar Pradesh’s premier T20 tournament wrapped up its 2024 edition auctions on Sunday, July 28.
Teams auctioned off several prominent names, investing heavily to secure talented and experienced players.
The standout was veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who emerged as the league’s most expensive player. He was bagged for an extraordinary amount of INR 30.25 lakh.
Kumar represented the Noida Super Kings in the inaugural season of the league but will play for the Lucknow Falcons this year.
The Potential of the UP Cricket League
Uttar Pradesh boasts a rich cricketing history. The state has produced numerous Indian cricket stalwarts.
For instance, Suresh Raina is a former famous Indian player who belongs to the state of Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, he played for UP in the domestic cricket circuit.
The UP Cricket League aims to capitalise on this talent pool by providing a platform for local players to showcase their abilities. With the right strategy and execution, the league can:
- Discover new talent by unearthing hidden gems from the state and providing them with a platform to shine.
- Boost the local economy by generating revenue and creating jobs through the league’s operations.
- Enhance cricket infrastructure by Improving cricketing facilities in the state.
Challenges Ahead
Although the potential is immense, the UP Cricket League faces stiff competition.
Notably, this opposition arises from established T20 leagues in other states, which benefit from both massive popularity and substantial financial backing.
In order to overcome these challenges, the league needs to:
- Secure substantial sponsorship: Attract big-ticket sponsors to ensure the league’s financial stability.
- Build a strong brand identity: Create a unique brand image that resonates with the target audience.
- Leverage digital platforms: Utilise social media and other digital channels to engage with fans and build a strong online presence.
- Focus on player development: Invest in programs to nurture young talent.
The Road Ahead
The success of the UP Cricket League will undoubtedly depend on several factors.
All in all, the overall developmental facilities, game quality, and fan engagement can be crucial contributors to the team’s success.
Nonetheless, if the league can overcome the challenges and capitalize on its potential, it could make a significant impact. With the right approach, it could potentially become a major force in Indian cricket.
In the end, only time will tell if the UP Cricket League can truly challenge the dominance of the IPL and other established leagues.
With the ability to tap into the vast cricket-crazy population, the league can certainly emerge as a key player in Indian cricket.
Yet, the question remains—can it truly rival established giants like the Indian Premier League (IPL)?
