Dehradun T20 League: Rishikesh Dragons crush Herbertpur Knightriders by 134 runs in opener

Dehradun, Sep 3 (IANS) The Dehradun T20 League 2026, Uttarakhand’s biggest franchise cricket tournament, got underway in grand fashion with Rishikesh Dragons registering a commanding 134-run victory over Herbertpur Knightriders in the opening match at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy.

The tournament was officially inaugurated through a vibrant opening ceremony attended by former BCCI vice-president Mahim Verma, Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) chief patron P. C. Verma, Dehradun T20 League CEO Navneet Mishra and Cricket Association of Dehradun (CAD) secretary Peeyoosh Kumar Raghubanshi, among other dignitaries.

The guests declared the tournament open and extended their encouragement to the players ahead of the competition.

The action that followed saw Rishikesh Dragons produce a dominant all-round display. Asked to bat first after losing the toss, the Dragons piled up a formidable 239/4 in their 20 overs.

Opener Yuvraj Chaudhary set the tone with a superb 70 off 40 deliveries, striking four fours and six sixes. Ishgra Jagoori continued the assault with a quickfire 59 off 32 balls, an innings featuring seven sixes.

Kamaldeep Singh then provided the finishing flourish, smashing 64 off just 25 deliveries. His explosive knock included two fours and eight sixes, while Sachin Chauhan remained unbeaten on 22 off nine balls to push the total close to the 240-run mark.

For Herbertpur Knightriders, Devendra S. Bora was the standout bowler, returning impressive figures of 2/18 from his four overs.

Faced with a daunting target of 240, Herbertpur struggled to gain momentum against a disciplined and aggressive Rishikesh bowling attack. The Knightriders were eventually bowled out for 105 in 14.4 overs.

Kunal V. Singh top-scored with 22, while captain Ashar Khan made 17 and Nikhil Pundir contributed 14.

Rishikesh captain Tejender Singh led from the front with the ball, producing a sensational spell of 5/30 in four overs. Devendra Dhariyal and Ravinder Negi picked up two wickets apiece, while Aditya Sethi claimed one wicket.

The comprehensive 134-run triumph gave Rishikesh Dragons an ideal start to their Dehradun T20 League 2026 campaign and set the tone for what promises to be an exciting edition of Uttarakhand’s premier franchise cricket tournament.

–IANS

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