~ Haridwar overtook Nainital to rise to the top of the UPL 2025 points table with a commanding victory, while Pithoragarh became the second side to be eliminated from finals contention ~
Dehradun, 2 October 2025:
In the morning clash, the Haridwar Elmas secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Nainital Tigers in Match 15 of the Uttarakhand Premier League, chasing down a competitive target of 199 with 25 balls remaining at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
Both teams have been among the top performers this season, and today's victory lifted Haridwar to the top of the points table. They overtook Nainital to claim first place, equal on 8 points but ahead on net run rate.
Sent in to bat first, Nainital posted 198/7 in their 20 overs. Shashwat Dangwal was the star performer with a blistering 88 from 42 balls, hitting seven fours and as many sixes. Openers Aarav Mahajan (38 off 29) and Dhruv Pratap Singh (29 off 22) gave Nainital a solid start before Dangwal's fireworks in the middle overs pushed the total past 190.
For Haridwar, Siddharth Gupta was the most successful bowler with figures of 3/35.
In reply, Haridwar lost captain Kunal Chandela early for 7, a significant blow given he had just reached a remarkable milestone of 400 runs in this edition of the UPL. The prolific run-scorer had been in sensational form throughout the tournament, anchoring Haridwar's batting lineup with consistent and impactful performances.
His dismissal, a rare blip in an otherwise stellar campaign, threatened to derail the chase, but Himanshu Sony and Neeraj Singh Rathour stepped up to produce a match-winning partnership.
Sony played aggressively for his 70 from 34 balls, which included three fours and seven sixes. However, it was Rathour who stole the show with a magnificent unbeaten century. The middle-order batter smashed 100* runs from just 40 balls, striking eight fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 250.
The Nainital bowlers had no answers to the onslaught as Rathour and Sony added 136 runs together. Even after Sony's dismissal in the 14th over, Rathour continued his assault alongside Saurav Chauhan to take Haridwar home in 15.5 overs.
The Player of the Match was awarded to Neeraj Rathour for his brilliant knock of 100 in just 40 deliveries.
Later, rain brought a heartbreaking end to Pithoragarh Hurricanes' campaign in the afternoon encounter, with the match abandonment sealing their elimination from finals contention.
Electing to bowl first, Pithoragarh Hurricanes restricted USN Indians to 130/7 in 20 overs. The USN Indians never found their rhythm, losing wickets at crucial junctures throughout their innings. Opener Avneesh Sudha and skipper Vishal Kashyap provided a steady start before the former was dismissed for 33 in the eighth over.
Vishal Kashyap tried to hold the fort but he too followed suit, falling for a top-score of 52 from 34. His wicket triggered a damaging collapse, as the middle order crumbled under pressure with wickets tumbling in quick succession.
Mukesh Gupta's late cameo of 12-ball 14 provided some much-needed additional runs to the total, but USN Indians finished well below a competitive score.
Pithoragarh's bowling was clinical and disciplined. Prashant Chauhan was exceptional, claiming 2/11 in his four overs with remarkable economy. Vikas Bhati struck twice in a tight two-over spell, conceding only nine runs.
The match was abandoned due to a rain interruption before Pithoragarh could commence their innings, resulting in both teams sharing the points. Consequently, both Pithoragarh Hurricanes and USN Indians have been eliminated from finals contention, having accumulated 3 and 1 points respectively in the standings.
ENDS
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