Meerut Mavericks secured their second consecutive victory, powered by Swastik Chikara’s explosive innings and Kartik Tyagi’s fast bowling

Lucknow, Ekana Stadium : Rinku Singh-led Meerut Mavericks continued their winning run in Season 4 of the UP T20 League 2026 with a commanding 36-run victory over the Gorakhpur Lions in Match 5 at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium. Defending a season-high total of 206, the Mavericks became the first team this season to successfully defend a total after batting first. The victory was sealed in dramatic fashion when skipper Rinku pulled off a sensational diving catch off the final delivery.

The high-profile encounter was officially inaugurated by Shri Manoj Pandey, Honorable Minister of Food, Logistics and Civil Supplies, Government of Uttar Pradesh. He conducted the toss and participated in the traditional Bell Ringing Ceremony alongside UP T20 League Governing Council Chairman Dr. Sanjay Kapoor, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association Secretary Prem Manohar Gupta, Governing Council Member Sanjeev Kumar Singh and former India pacer Praveen Kumar.

“The enthusiasm for cricket in Uttar Pradesh is a matter of immense pride. The UP T20 League gives our youth a grand stage to showcase their talent, boosting their confidence and creating better opportunities for their future,” he said. Dr. Sanjay Kapoor also underlined the league’s commitment to nurturing local talent.

“The UP T20 League 2026 like last season continues to grow, and the crowd’s excitement this season is tremendous. Our endeavor remains to provide a solid platform where Uttar Pradesh’s cricketers can shine purely through their hard work and capabilities,” he said.

After Gaur Gorakhpur Lions captain Aryan Juyal won the toss and chose to bowl, Meerut made a blistering start. Openers Swastik Chikara and Rituraj Sharma raced to a 50-run partnership in just 4.2 overs, helping the Mavericks finish the powerplay at 69 without loss.

The opening stand eventually reached 86 before Nishant Thakur dismissed Rituraj Sharma in the ninth over for a fluent 44 off 30 deliveries. Chikara continued his assault, reaching his half-century from just 29 balls. The milestone marked his 11th fifty in UP T20 League history, adding to his four centuries. Chikara found valuable support from Akshay Dubey, with the pair adding 62 runs. The Lions managed to regain some momentum in the 16th over when Rahul Sharma dismissed both Dubey and Divyansh Joshi in quick succession. However, Chikara and Rinku Singh kept the pressure on. Chikara also entered the tournament’s record books by crossing the 100-sixes mark, becoming only the second player after Sameer Rizvi to achieve the feat.

His outstanding innings finally ended in the 18th over when Teerath Singh dismissed him for a spectacular 82 off 45 balls. His knock included nine boundaries and four sixes. A late cameo from Rinku Singh, who scored 25 off 12 balls, along with Divyansh Rajput’s contribution, propelled Meerut to 206/6 — the highest team total of Season 4. Chasing 207, the Gaur Gorakhpur Lions struggled to build momentum and lost wickets at regular intervals, slipping to 56/5 inside the opening 10 overs.

Siddharth Yadav briefly revived the chase with an aggressive 40 off 22 balls, including 19 runs from a single over by Zeeshan Ansari. Yadav and Nishant Kushwah then added 47 runs to give the Lions hope, but Ansari struck again in the 15th over to dismiss Yadav. Shivam Sharma attempted to accelerate the chase, smashing three consecutive boundaries off Kunal Yadav in the 16th over. Kunal responded by dismissing Kushwah to complete his third wicket of the match. The Lions threatened another late surge when Nishant Thakur smashed four consecutive sixes off Vishal Chaudhary in the 18th over. But Kartik Tyagi quickly ended the resistance, bowling Thakur with a searing 143 kph yorker. Tyagi finished with excellent figures of 2/18 from his four overs. The Mavericks then completed a comprehensive 36-run victory with Rinku Singh producing the final highlight of the night, taking a stunning diving catch on the last ball.

Reflecting on the victory and his team’s explosive start with the bat, Rinku Singh praised his opening pair and the intent they showed from the outset. “Yes, I’m very happy because we got off to a really good start with the bat today as well. If you score around 70 runs in the first six overs, that’s a very good start. When you get a good start, you can play with clear intent, and then everything starts falling into place. Like today, Chikara showed great intent, and Rituraj also showed intent. So, everything worked well for us on the field today,” said the Meerut Mavericks captain.

Meerut Mavericks Inning 206/6 (20 ov)