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In a match defined by late momentum shifts and final-over drama, the Noida Kings secured a thrilling one-run victory over defending champions Kashi Rudras in the Eliminator of the UPT20 League 2026.
Played at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium, the victory knocks the two-time champions out of the tournament and propels the Noida Kings into Qualifier 2, where they will face the Meerut Mavericks, according to a press release from the UPT20 League. Noida Kings skipper Prashant Veer was adjudged the Player of the Match for his exceptional all-round performance, single-handedly reviving his team's innings with an unbeaten half-century before claiming two vital wickets with the ball. After a delayed start due to rain, Kashi Rudras captain Karan Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first. The decision initially yielded excellent results as the Noida Kings struggled to build partnerships, finding themselves at 49/4 in eight overs. Ravi Singh provided brief momentum with a 20-ball 31, but Kashi maintained strict control, restricting Noida to 107/6 after 18 overs. The match swung dramatically in the penultimate over. Prashant Veer was caught and bowled by Atal Bihari Vipin Rai on the second delivery, but a no-ball call granted him a lifeline just as rain forced a brief halt in play. Upon resumption, Veer capitalised on the free-hit, combining with Shiva Singh to extract 20 runs from the 19th over. Veer then dominated the final over bowled by Rishabh Rajput, hitting three consecutive sixes to amass 27 runs. He finished unbeaten on 58 off 28 balls (five fours, four sixes), lifting the Noida Kings to a highly competitive 154/6. For Kashi, Sangam Singh took 2/30, while Kartik Yadav bowled an exceptionally economical spell of 1/10 in his four overs. Chasing 155, Kashi Rudras suffered an early setback when star batter and captain Karan Sharma was dismissed in the fourth over by Prashant Veer. Abhishek Goswami (45 off 33 balls) and Virat Jaiswal steadied the innings with a 54-run partnership off 43 balls, before Veer returned to remove Jaiswal. Shiva Singh then accounted for Goswami to keep the game in the balance. Upendra Yadav and Shubham Chaubey brought Kashi back into a commanding position with a steady 48-run stand off 37 balls, bringing the equation down to a highly manageable 17 runs needed from the final 12 deliveries. However, the match turned decisively in the 19th over. Noida's Kartik Siddhu delivered a game-changing hat-trick, conceding just three runs in the over and leaving Kashi requiring 14 runs off the final six balls. Pacer Vansh was tasked with defending the total in the 20th over. After conceding a first-ball boundary to new batter Kartik Yadav, Vansh dismissed him on the very next delivery. Shubham Chaubey kept Kashi's hopes alive with a six on the fourth ball, reducing the target to three runs from two balls. A single followed, leaving Vijay Yadav on strike needing two runs off the final delivery to win. Attempting a powerful shot down the ground, Vijay hit it straight back to Vansh, who completed a sharp return catch in his follow-through to seal a historic one-run victory for the Noida Kings. The Noida Kings will now carry this momentum into Qualifier 2 against the Meerut Mavericks, with the winner advancing to face the Lucknow Falcons in the Grand Finale. (ANI)
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