Lucknow Falcons Soar in Rain Drama at Ekana! Ajeet Verma, Abhinandan Shine in DLS Win Over Noida Kings

Lucknow, Match No 15: An impressive all-round display from Ajeet Verma and a superb bowling spell by Abhinandan Singh helped the Lucknow Falcons defeat the Noida Kings by 12 runs via the DLS method in Match no 15 of the UP T20 League season 4 2026.  The rain-affected match was played at Ekana Cricket Stadium. Lucknow Falcons captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the toss and opted to bowl, setting the tone with a maiden over.

Noida Kings opener Shoaib Siddiqui anchored the innings with a composed 48 off 39 balls, but Lucknow’s bowlers kept striking at crucial intervals. Leading the attack was Abhinandan Singh, who claimed an outstanding 4/32 to move to the top of the tournament’s wicket-taking charts with 13 wickets in 5 matches, reclaiming the Purple Cap of this season. Ajeet Verma chipped in with two crucial wickets as the Noida Kings slipped to 127/8. Just when Noida appeared headed for a modest total, Prashant Veer produced a stunning late assault. The left-hander smashed 29 runs from the final 2 overs, including 22 in the last over, finishing unbeaten on 59 off only 30 balls. His explosive knock lifted Noida to 156/8 from their 20 overs. Chasing 157, Lucknow suffered an early setback. Naman Tiwari dismissed openers Mohammad Saif and Himanshu Singh, before Priyam Garg was run out, leaving the Falcons struggling at 32/3. Ajeet Verma then took charge of the chase. He combined with Vipraj Nigam for a crucial 61-run partnership and played a commanding innings of 59 from 43 balls to revive Lucknow’s hopes. With the Falcons needing only 13 runs from the final 15 deliveries, heavy rain brought play to a halt. With no further action possible, Lucknow were declared winners by 12 runs under the DLS method, securing their second victory of the UP T20 League 2026. For his decisive contributions with both bat and ball, Ajeet Verma was named Player of the Match.