In a match filled with dramatic shifts and last-minute excitement, the Noida Kings clinched a stunning one-run victory over the defending champions, Kashi Rudras, in the Eliminator of the UPT20 League 2026. This match took place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium, eliminating the two-time champions from the tournament and propelling the Noida Kings into Qualifier 2, where they will face the Meerut Mavericks.
Noida Kings’ captain, Prashant Veer, was named Player of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance, scoring an unbeaten half-century and taking two crucial wickets.
Noida Kings’ Remarkable Comeback
The match began with a rain delay, after which Kashi Rudras’ captain, Karan Sharma, won the toss and opted to bowl first. This decision initially paid off as the Noida Kings struggled, finding themselves at 49/4 within eight overs.
Ravi Singh briefly lifted the team’s spirits with a quick 31 runs off 20 balls, but Kashi Rudras maintained tight control, limiting Noida to 107/6 after 18 overs.
Veer’s Explosive Finish
The penultimate over saw a dramatic turn of events. Prashant Veer was caught off a delivery from Atal Bihari Vipin Rai, but a no-ball allowed him to continue. Following a rain interruption, Veer capitalized on this opportunity, partnering with Shiva Singh to score 20 runs in the 19th over. In the final over bowled by Rishabh Rajput, Veer hit three consecutive sixes, amassing 27 runs and finishing with an impressive 58 runs off 28 balls, leading Noida Kings to a competitive total of 154/6. For Kashi, Sangam Singh took 2 wickets for 30 runs, while Kartik Yadav bowled economically, finishing with 1 wicket for just 10 runs in his four overs.
Kashi Rudras’ Chase
In pursuit of 155 runs, Kashi Rudras faced an early blow when their captain, Karan Sharma, was dismissed in the fourth over by Prashant Veer. Abhishek Goswami (45 runs off 33 balls) and Virat Jaiswal formed a solid partnership of 54 runs off 43 balls before Veer struck again, removing Jaiswal. Shiva Singh then dismissed Goswami, keeping the match finely balanced.
Upendra Yadav and Shubham Chaubey steadied the innings with a 48-run partnership off 37 balls, leaving Kashi needing just 17 runs from the last 12 balls.
Siddhu’s Game-Changing Hat-Trick
The match took a decisive turn in the 19th over when Noida’s Kartik Siddhu achieved a remarkable hat-trick, conceding only three runs and leaving Kashi needing 14 runs from the final six balls.
In the 20th over, pacer Vansh was tasked with defending the total. After conceding a boundary to new batter Kartik Yadav, he dismissed him on the next ball. Shubham Chaubey kept Kashi’s hopes alive with a six, reducing the target to three runs from two balls. A single followed, leaving Vijay Yadav needing two runs off the last ball to win. However, his powerful shot was caught by Vansh, sealing a historic one-run victory for the Noida Kings.
Next Steps for Noida Kings
The Noida Kings will carry this momentum into Qualifier 2 against the Meerut Mavericks, with the winner set to face the Lucknow Falcons in the Grand Finale.