Dehradun, 20 September (H.S.): The cricket fever is set to grip Uttarakhand’s capital Dehradun once again as the third season of the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) gets underway on Monday (September 21) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.

The 11-day cricket extravaganza will bring together some of the state’s established stars and emerging young players on a common platform to showcase their talent. The tournament will begin with the women’s fixtures on Monday, while the men’s matches will commence from September 22.

The opening day will feature two women’s matches alongside the opening ceremony. Pithoragarh Hurricanes will take on Dehradun Warriors at 11:00 a.m., while Bageshwar Ariel will face Mussoorie Queens at 3:00 p.m. A grand opening ceremony will be held in the evening, featuring a performance by Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor. The ceremony will also showcase Uttarakhand’s rich folk traditions, with local artists including Karishma Shah and Ruhan Bhardwaj from Garhwal, Inder Arya from Kumaon, Manju Nautiyal from Jaunpur, and Ajju Tomar and Ajay Chauhan from Jaunsar presenting the region’s folk music.

Ahead of the opening ceremony, Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) Secretary Kiran Verma said in a statement that the UPL has emerged as an important platform for cricket in Uttarakhand and that the third season marks another significant step in that direction. “We are particularly pleased that the opening ceremony will bring together cricket and the state’s talented artists, reflecting the true spirit of Uttarakhand,” she said.

Mahim Verma, former Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and former Secretary of the CAU, said that the UPL has provided cricketers from Uttarakhand with an opportunity to compete in a structured T20 environment and gain valuable experience. He added that the opening ceremony also provides an opportunity to celebrate the state’s rich cultural heritage. “We hope this season brings many memorable moments for both players and fans,” he said.

UPL Chairman Sunil Joshi said, “The third season marks another important chapter for the Uttarakhand Premier League. The combination of experienced players and young talent will produce highly competitive cricket, while both the women’s and men’s competitions will provide players with an opportunity to establish themselves. We are extremely excited to get the tournament underway and look forward to an enthusiastic response from cricket lovers across the state.”

The women’s competition will feature Mussoorie Queens, Bageshwar Ariel, Pithoragarh Hurricanes and Dehradun Warriors, led respectively by icon players Nandini Kashyap, Prema Rawat, Raghavi Bisht and Shweta Verma. The women’s final will be played on September 24.

The men’s competition will begin on September 22 at 7:30 p.m. with a clash between Haridwar Elmas and Nainital Tigers. The seven-team competition will also feature Pithoragarh Hurricanes, USN Indians, Rishikesh River Kings, Tehri Titans and Dehradun Warriors. The men’s eliminator will be played on September 30, followed by the title clash on October 1, which will bring the UPL 2026 season to a close.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar