The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) and organizers SSPARK Sports and Entertainment on Friday revealed the participating teams and prize money for Season 2 of the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL), which will start from September 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the UPL returns bigger and stronger this year with seven men’s teams and four women’s teams, representing the cricketing spirit of Uttarakhand. The first season saw five men’s and three women’s teams compete, with USN Indians (men’s) and Mussoorie Thunders (women’s) crowned as champions.
The teams competing this season will be - Dehradun Warriors, Haridwar Spring Elmas, Nainital Tigers, Pithoragarh Hurricanes, Rishikesh Falcons, Tehri Titans and USN Indians in the men's competition while Haridwar Storm, Mussoorie Thunders, Pithoragarh Hurricanes and Tehri Queens in the women's competition.
Named after key districts and cities, these teams embody the diversity and passion of Uttarakhand, providing a professional platform for players from across the state to showcase their skills and push for higher honours.
To further incentivise performance, the UPL retains its attractive prize money pool of close to Rs 50 lakh, underlining its commitment to rewarding excellence on the field. The men’s champions will take home Rs 25 lakh, and the women’s champions will be awarded Rs 7 lakh.
The runners-up will receive Rs 12 lakh (men’s) and Rs 3 lakh (women’s). Individual brilliance will be recognised with the Men’s Player of the Series (Rs 1 lakh) and Women’s Player of the Series (Rs 25,000). Every match will carry a Player of the Match award of Rs 10,000, ensuring high-quality competition throughout.
Kiran Rautela Verma, Secretary, Cricket Association of Uttarakhand, said, “It is a matter of immense pride to be the first-ever woman secretary of a state cricket association in India and taking on the responsibility to conduct the second season of UPL.
It is not just a league, but a platform where talent meets opportunity. This season’s expansion of teams reflects our vision of inclusive growth for cricket in Uttarakhand. With a strong schedule and attractive prize pool, we are committed to developing the game at the grassroots and professional levels.”
Rajeev Khanna, Founder, Sspark Sports & Entertainment, said, “The Uttarakhand Premier League is fast becoming one of India’s most exciting state-level T20 competitions. Season 2’s expanded format, featuring 12 competitive teams and a robust prize structure, will provide more players the opportunity to showcase their talent while entertaining cricket fans from the region.
We look forward to two weeks of competitive cricket and community celebration.” The UPL Player Draft will take place on Saturday, where all seven men’s and four women’s teams will finalize their squads.
Avneesh Sudha, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Jagadeesha Suchith, Prashant Chopra, Bhupen Lalwani, Kunal Chandela and Rajan Kumar are the Icon players in the men’s competition while Mansi Joshi, Neelam Bhardwaj, Sweta Verma and Kanchan Parihar will be the four key Icon players in the women’s category.
Teams will be spending heavily on their marquee signings, with Rs 1.5 lakh set as the fixed price for an Icon player. Once all teams have picked their Icon players, they will proceed to assemble a squad from a list of capped and uncapped players.
With close to 30 matches lined up - including league stages, eliminators, and finals - fans can look forward to two weeks of exhilarating cricket action in Dehradun as UPL continues to strengthen its position in India’s domestic cricket ecosystem.