Building Momentum
Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) is set to return for its much-anticipated second season, with the women’s competition kicking off on September 23, followed by the men’s tournament starting on September 27, the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) announced on Thursday.
This season will see an expanded line-up, featuring seven men’s teams and four women’s teams — a significant rise from the five men’s and three women’s teams that competed in the inaugural season. The expansion highlights the rapid growth of cricketing talent emerging from the state.
In the women’s tournament, four teams will battle for the title across four days, with six round-robin matches taking place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun. The women’s final is scheduled for September 26. The men’s tournament will feature 21 league matches, followed by an eliminator and the grand finale on October 4 and 5, respectively.
A total of 30 matches will be hosted at the iconic Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, with SSPARK Sports and Entertainment managing the event.
Season 1 of the UPL saw homegrown talents like Yuvraj Chaudhary, Priyanshu Khanduri, Avneesh Sudha, and Bhanu Pratap Singh shine with match-winning performances, reinforcing the strength of the state’s cricket pipeline. To ensure competitive balance, the UPL Player Draft is scheduled for September 10 in Dehradun, where teams will first secure their marquee players before completing their rosters. The CAU emphasized that the league continues to provide a platform for emerging cricketers to compete alongside seasoned players with Indian Team and IPL experience, fostering growth and raising the competitive bar for Uttarakhand cricket.
