Lucknow, Aug 13 (IANS) Two-time champions Kashi Rudras captain Karan Sharma believes the time spent together during the practice camp has helped build the connection within the squad and given the players a strong base as they begin their title defence against Meerut Mavericks on Friday in the opening match of the UPT20 2026 season at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
The opening fixture brings back a familiar contest for Kashi Rudras. The two sides met in last season’s final, with Kashi producing a dominant performance to beat Meerut Mavericks by eight wickets and claim their second UPT20 title.
The Rudras will return to competitive action with a new-look squad, following an 11-day pre-season camp in Kanpur from August 1 to 11. The camp brought the players together for focused training and gave the group valuable time to settle into their roles ahead of the season.
“It has been a very good camp for us. We got the space to spend time together, understand each other, and get comfortable as a group before we started thinking about this first game. It is a great feeling to be part of a setup where the conversations began even before we stepped onto the field for practice. The team has come together really well, and we know there is a lot of hard work ahead,” Sharma said.
“We have the support and prayers of Kashi behind us, and now it is about taking that energy into the first game and giving our best,” he added.
Rudras set the tone last season, winning seven of their 10 league matches, including their first six, before beating Mavericks in Qualifier 1 and the final.
Captain Karan Sharma led the league’s run charts with 519 runs and finished as the top run-scorer, claiming his 2nd Orange Cap in UPT20 history. Atal Bihari Rai finished joint-second among the leading wicket-takers with 20 wickets, while Sunil Kumar and Kartik Yadav also made strong contributions with 15 and 14 wickets respectively.
The meeting also brings together the only two teams to have won the UPT20 League so far. Kashi Rudras lifted the inaugural title in 2023 before winning again in 2025, while Meerut Mavericks claimed the championship in 2024.
Speaking about the opening game, head coach Dhruv Singh said, “We have had good preparation, and the camp was a really important part of that. It gave us time to look at the players closely, understand their strengths, and work on the things we wanted to improve before the competition begins. There is a good balance in this group, and everyone understands that we have to start well. The first game is against a familiar side, but our focus will be on executing our plans and making sure we are ready for the demands of the season.”
Retaining the core group, Rudras made further additions to the squad at the player auction in Agra. All-rounder Mohammad Sharim was the franchise’s highest-priced signing at ₹17.50 lakh, while Vaibhav Choudhary, Vijay Yadav, Virat Jaiswal, Manav Sindhu and Sahab Yuvraj Singh also joined the squad.
The first game will therefore bring together a familiar rivalry and a new chapter for both teams. For Kashi Rudras, it is the first step in an attempt to become the first side to defend its UPT20 title and add a third championship to its record.
The UPT20 League will run from August 14 to September 6, with the opening phase in Lucknow before the tournament moves to Kanpur for the latter half, including the knockouts and final.
–IANS
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