Uttarakhand : The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU), in collaboration with SSPARK Sports and Entertainment, on Friday unveiled the teams, prize money, and schedule for the second season of the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL), set to commence on September 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, UPL Season 2 expands with seven men’s teams—Dehradun Warriors, Haridwar Spring Elmas, Nainital Tigers, Pithoragarh Hurricanes, Rishikesh Falcons, Tehri Titans, and USN Indians—and four women’s teams—Haridwar Storm, Mussoorie Thunders, Pithoragarh Hurricanes, and Tehri Queens. Last year, USN Indians (men’s) and Mussoorie Thunders (women’s) were crowned champions.
The league retains a robust prize money pool of nearly Rs 50 lakh. Men’s champions will receive Rs 25 lakh, while women’s champions will get Rs 7 lakh. Runners-up will be awarded Rs 12 lakh (men’s) and Rs 3 lakh (women’s). Individual performances will be recognised with Men’s Player of the Series (Rs 1 lakh), Women’s Player of the Series (Rs 25,000), and Player of the Match prizes of Rs 10,000 each.
Kiran Rautela Verma, Secretary of the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand, said, “As the first woman secretary of a state cricket association in India, it is an honour to conduct UPL Season 2. The expanded format is a platform where talent meets opportunity, reflecting our commitment to inclusive cricket development in Uttarakhand.”
Rajeev Khanna, Founder of SSPARK Sports & Entertainment, added, “UPL is fast emerging as one of India’s most exciting state-level T20 competitions. Season 2’s expansion and attractive prize structure will offer players a larger stage to showcase their talent while entertaining fans across the region.”
The Player Draft will be held on Saturday, where men’s and women’s teams will finalise their squads. Icon players for the men’s teams include Avneesh Sudha, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Jagadeesha Suchith, Prashant Chopra, Bhupen Lalwani, Kunal Chandela, and Rajan Kumar, while the women’s teams feature Mansi Joshi, Neelam Bhardwaj, Sweta Verma, and Kanchan Parihar. Icon players carry a fixed price of Rs 1.5 lakh.
With close to 30 matches including league stages, eliminators, and finals—fans can look forward to two weeks of thrilling cricket action in Dehradun as UPL continues to strengthen its presence in India’s domestic cricket landscape.