Dehradun: Indian Premier League stars Akash Madhwal, Swapnil Singh and Aditya Tare will be in action in the inaugural Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL), scheduled to start from September 15. The announcement was made by the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) on Monday and will see both men and women’s team competing in the event.
Among women, India senior team stars Ekta Bisht, Punam Raut and Mansi Joshi will be the three marquee women’s players available to the teams. 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. 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.
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.”
