The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) on Monday announced the inaugural Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) which will be held from September 15-22 and will see both men and women’s teams competing in the event.
The CAU said five men’s teams and three women’s sides will be vying for the titles.
A total of 16 matches will be played at the city’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, with SSPARK Sports and Entertainment serving as the league’s organisers.
ALSO READ | Ashutosh Sharma: ‘Scored my maiden first-class hundred on Ranji debut with the bat Shikhar Dhawan gave me’
The CAU said it is aiming to provide a platform to younger players from the state to showcase their talent, and also the chance to rub shoulders with the players who have delivered at the top level.
Additionally, to give all the competing teams an equal opportunity to assemble their squad, the UPL Player Draft will be conducted on September 1 in Dehradun, which will commence with the eight teams picking one marquee player each.
The five men’s teams will have the option to choose from six marquee players – Akash Madhwal, Rajan Kumar, Deepak Dhapola, Swapnil Singh, Aditya Tare and Kunal Chandela.
Meanwhile, Ekta Bisht, Punam Raut and Mansi Joshi will be the three marquee women’s players available to the teams.
Mahim Verma, secretary, Cricket Association of Uttarakhand, said, “We are delighted with the response we have received from various stakeholders since the idea of conducting the Uttarakhand Premier League came about.
“We are proud and extremely excited to be introducing Uttarakhand’s first-ever premier T20 competition that will introduce fans and players to an atmosphere which the Indian Premier League is known for.
“It’s an atmosphere that helps in the accelerated development of young players, and at the same time, provides the fans with the chance to enjoy entertaining cricket with their loved ones.”
Source Agencies
