Dehradun (Uttarakhand) September 23, 2026: Haridwar Elmas defeated Nainital Tigers by two wickets in the first men’s match of the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) 2026 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun on Tuesday, chasing down the target with one ball to spare in a thrilling finish.
The first men’s match of the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) 2026 turned out to be an absolute thriller.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Nainital Tigers posted 166/8 in their 20 overs. Opener Rohit Danu was their top scorer with 45 runs, smashing seven fours and a six off 32 balls.
Shashank Pant contributed 28 runs, while Mukesh R. Gupta scored a useful 26. For Haridwar, Rakshit Rohi impressed with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/17 in his four overs, while Janmejay Joshi also claimed two wickets.
Chasing 167, Haridwar Elmas got off to a strong start. Opener Daksh Awana played a composed innings, scoring a match-winning 74 off 55 balls, including nine fours and a six.
Saurabh Rawat added 25 runs, while Shashwat Dangwal contributed 23 to put Haridwar in a strong position.
However, Nainital Tigers’ bowler Sankalp Patodia staged a brilliant comeback. He bowled an excellent spell, claiming four wickets for 26 runs in his four overs, and triggered a flurry of wickets to bring Nainital right back into the contest.
The real drama unfolded in the final over. With Haridwar needing seven runs from six balls, Avneesh Sudha came on to bowl.
After a dot ball on the first delivery, Avneesh dismissed Priyansh Singh for one run off the second ball, caught by Shashank Pant, leaving Haridwar eight wickets down at 160.
Sachin Yadav then came to the crease and could not score off the third ball. He took a single off the fourth delivery, handing the strike to Rakshit Dalakoti.
With six runs needed from the final two balls, the pressure was at its peak. Despite Haridwar having lost eight wickets, Rakshit Dalakoti showed tremendous confidence at the other end. On the fifth ball of the over (19.5), Dalakoti smashed a huge six over wide long-on off Avneesh Sudha. The towering six sealed a thrilling two-wicket victory for Haridwar Elmas with one ball to spare.
