Kanpur, 13 July (H.S.): The fourth season of the Uttar Pradesh T20 League (UPT20) will be held from August 14 to September 6, 2026, with a total of 34 matches scheduled over 24 days. The tournament will feature 13 double-header match days and eight single-header match days. The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) officially announced the schedule on Sunday.

For the first time, the UPT20 League will be staged across two cities. The opening phase of the tournament will be played at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where 22 matches will be held across 13 match days. The remaining 12 matches will then be played at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.

The opening ceremony and the inaugural match will take place in Lucknow, while the final and the closing ceremony will be hosted in Kanpur.

Several key proposals related to the fourth edition were approved during the UPCA Governing Council meeting held on Sunday. The association expressed gratitude to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BCCI Vice-President and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla for their continued support and guidance in the development of sports.

In an official statement, the UPCA said that, with the encouragement of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Rajeev Shukla, the UPT20 League will, for the first time, be conducted across two cities—Lucknow and Kanpur. The association described the move as a historic decision aimed at expanding cricket across Uttar Pradesh, making better use of the state's sporting infrastructure, and taking the league to a wider audience.

The Governing Council also discussed and approved the tournament schedule, venues, player auction, operational framework, talent development initiatives, and other key aspects of the competition. The UPT20 Season 4 mini auction will be held in Agra on July 24, 2026, with 45 player slots available across the league's six franchises.

The Council also approved the player retention policy, player selection process, catchment area trials, support staff selection guidelines, and mini auction regulations to ensure that the entire process remains transparent and fair.

To continue promoting local talent, the catchment area model will remain in place this season, providing young cricketers from different districts of Uttar Pradesh with an opportunity to showcase their abilities.

Former India cricketer Suresh Raina will continue as the league's brand ambassador for the fourth consecutive season. The league's official anthem, Khiladi Yahan Banta Hai (Champions Are Made Here), will also continue this season.

A total prize pool of Rs 3 crore has been retained to reward teams and players. The winning team will receive Rs 1 crore, while the runners-up will be awarded Rs 60 lakh. Attractive cash prizes will also be presented to outstanding individual performers and teams.

As part of its social responsibility initiatives, the UPCA has introduced the Har Boundary, Ek Nai Hariyali (Every Boundary, A New Greenery) campaign. Under this initiative, one tree will be planted in different districts of Uttar Pradesh for every four and every six hit during the tournament.

The association said the campaign aims to combine the excitement of cricket with environmental conservation while inspiring the younger generation to contribute towards protecting nature.

The UPCA reiterated that its objective is to provide emerging cricketers from Uttar Pradesh with a high-quality competitive platform and establish the state as one of India's leading centres for cricketing talent. Following the success of the previous three editions, preparations are underway to make the fourth season the league's biggest, most competitive, and most successful edition to date.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar