Uttarakhand Premier League 2024, Match 1 Review: Saurabh Rawat's fiery knock seals the deal for Haridwar Spring Elmas in opener

Dehradun, 15 September 2024: The Spring Elmas kicked off the 2024 Uttarakhand Premier League in style, securing a thrilling four-wicket victory over the Warriors in the tournament opener in Dehradun. Saurabh Rawat delivered a historic performance, making the opening match of the inaugural Uttarakhand Premier League an unforgettable beginning.

Chasing a big target of 177, the Haridwar team was struggling at 40/5 in the seventh over, making it seem as though the outcome of the match was already decided. However, Saurabh Rawat turned the match on its head in a dramatic fashion with his blazing knock of 49-ball 97*. 

In an unbelievable turn of events, Saurabh led his team’s batting attack from the front, with his sensational innings which featured 11 fours and 4 sixes. In their chase, Spring Elmas' batting performance was off track at the start. Their innings faltered first due to Deepak Kumar's double-wicket over, which was further disrupted by Abhay Negi’s own double-wicket over.

They were struggling at 39/4 by the end of the Powerplay and lost another wicket at the start of the seventh over, with Negi adding another wicket to his tally. 

Spring Elmas' Saurabh Rawat (No.5 batsman) and Saurav Chauhan (No.7) brought their team back on track and revived hope after a nightmare start with a stellar partnership of 81 runs. While Saurav Chauhan anchored the innings, Saurabh Rawat took the lead with a dynamic, aggressive approach.

The match took another dramatic turn when Dehradun Warriors snared the important wicket of Saurav Chauhan, who was dismissed for a 28-ball 26 in the 17th over. At this stage, the Spring Elmas needed 56 more runs from just 22 balls. 

Saurabh Rawat was joined by Girish Rauturi, who hit the first ball he faced for a crisp boundary, boosting his partner's confidence. The pair maintained their momentum, focusing on every shot with the winning goal in sight. They scripted a blockbuster script for a Sunday night, securing an unforgettable win over the Warriors. 

Earlier, Haridwar Spring Elmas’ captain Ravikumar Samarth’s decision to bowl first paid off with two early wickets. Left-arm pacer Prashant Bhati claimed the first wicket of the UPL, bowling the Warriors’ opener Vaibhav Bhatt out for a three-ball duck. The breakthrough sparked a second dismissal for the Spring Elmas, as Girish Rauturi sent No.3 batsman, Aanjaneya Suryavanshi, back to the pavilion without scoring.

After a shaky start with the scorecard reading 13/2 in two overs, opener Sanskar Rawat led the charge to stabilize the innings and rebuild his team's position. He unleashed a series of three consecutive fours in Rauturi's following over, shifting the momentum in the Warriors’ favour. Sanskar continued to showcase his graceful stroke play, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 200. After the Powerplay, he elevated his team's score to 58/2 with a notable contribution of 18-ball 36. 

However, the introduction of spin in the seventh over disrupted the Warriors’ momentum as left-arm spinner Harman Singh snared the priced scalp of Sanskar (37 runs from 21 balls). 

The next batsman to come in was Warriors' captain Aditya Tare, who brings a wealth of experience to the game. He held his ground at one end but was unable to form a strong partnership as his team continued to lose wickets in the middle overs. 

Despite the setbacks, Tare led with an impressive innings, displaying great skill and determination. He eventually found support from the No.9 batsman, Himanshu Bisht, and together they built an unbeaten partnership of 40 runs in the remaining 2.4 overs, helping lift their team to a decent score. 

Tare top-scored for his team with a blazing 41-ball 73* which was studded with four fours and five sixes while Rauturi was Spring Elmas’ standout bowler with returns of 3 for 31.