Dehradun, Sep 25 (IANS) A blazing century from Dikshanshu Negi coupled with a four-wicket haul by bowler Ashish Chaudhary propelled Rishikesh Rivers Kings to a dominant 56-run victory over Dehradun Warriors in the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) 2026 here on Friday.
Electing to bowl after winning the toss, Dehradun Warriors made initial inroads, reducing Rishikesh Rivers Kings to early trouble with the dismissals of openers Abhyuday Bhatnagar and Vishal Kashyap in the third over.
However, Negi turned the game completely on its head with a spectacular counter-attacking knock. The middle-order batter smashed 108 runs off just 57 deliveries, peppered with 12 boundaries and six towering sixes, and lifted his side out of trouble to post a competitive 185/5 in their 20 overs.
Despite losing four wickets within the opening 10 overs, Rishikesh rebuilt solidly as Akhil Rawat played a fine supporting act with a 26-ball 31. For Dehradun Warriors, Devender Bora was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-28.
In reply, Dehradun Warriors stumbled early in their pursuit of 186, losing two wickets in the powerplay. The run chase never gained momentum as Rishikesh bowlers maintained relentless pressure, reducing the Warriors to 86/7 by the 15th over.
Left-arm pacer Ashish Chaudhary tore through the middle and lower order, taking four wickets to bundle out Dehradun Warriors for 129 in 19.1 overs and seal a comprehensive victory for the Rivers Kings.
In another match played earlier in the day, Pithoragarh Hurricanes snatched a thrilling four-wicket win over USN Indians in a nail-biting finish. Opting to field first, Pithoragarh restricted USN Indians to 137 all out in 18.4 overs, backed by Krishna Garg’s clinical spell of 3-21.
Chasing 138, Pithoragarh found themselves in deep trouble at 80 for 6 in 14.4 overs before skipper Mayank Mishra and Yash Shukla executed a rescue act. Mishra blitzed an unbeaten 33 off 16 balls while Shukla chipped in with a crucial 29 off 18 balls to guide Pithoragarh home with two balls to spare.
–IANS
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