[In pictures] Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL): Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami graces opening ceremony
India’s latest domestic cricket league, the Uttarakhand Premier League, kicked off in Dehradun on Sunday, September 15, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
Ahead of the opening match between the Haridwar Spring Elmas and Dehradun Warriors, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, officially inaugurated the league and also unveiled the tournament trophy at the opening ceremony.
In his opening address, the Chief Minister shared his optimism regarding the Uttarakhand Premier League's potential impact. He emphasized that it would be vital in the upliftment of local cricket talent and also highlighted that competitions like this league would provide players from the state a platform to showcase and hone their skills. In addition to this, it would provide players new opportunities that would enable them to bring pride to both the state and the country on national and international levels.
Organized under the aegis of the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand, the event was also graced by several dignitaries, including Cabinet Minister Smt. Rekha Arya, Shri Ganesh Joshi, Member of Parliament and former Chief Minister Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, and renowned actor Sonu Sood.
Here are several pictures from the inauguration of the Uttarakhand Premier League.
Format of the Uttarakhand Premier League and teams in action
The Uttarakhand Premier League 2024, which features well-known cricketers like Aditya Tare and Akash Madhwal, will follow a single round-robin format, with five teams competing, namely the Dehradun Warriors, Haridwar Spring, Nainital SG Pipers, Pithoragarh, and USN Indians.
Each team will face the others once during the group stage, and following the round-robin phase, the top-ranked team will advance directly to the final, while the second and third-placed teams will compete in an eliminator to secure the remaining spot.
The week-long cricket action will culminate in a final showdown on September 22 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun. All the other matches of the Uttarakhand Premier League will also take place at the same venue.