UPT20 League: ‘He has made a massive impact’, says Bhuvneshwar Kumar for Ajeet Verma as Lucknow Falcons seal playoff berth

Kanpur, Aug 30 (IANS) Lucknow Falcons have officially booked their place in the UP T20 League 2026 playoffs following a hard-fought 24-run victory over the Gaur Gorakhpur Lions in match 26. Played at Kanpur’s historic Green Park Stadium, a venue that has hosted 40 international matches, the result marks Lucknow’s fifth win in nine games, making them the second franchise after the Meerut Mavericks to advance to the knockout stages.

“It was a very important win for us to qualify. The first aim of the team has been achieved,” stated a highly satisfied Lucknow skipper, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, following the victory.

The path to qualification, however, looked incredibly unlikely early in the evening. Opting to bowl first, Lions skipper Shivam Sharma applied immense pressure, delivering a miserly spell of 2/12 in his three overs, including a maiden, to reduce Lucknow to a precarious 51/4 in 8.4 overs.

Reflecting on the turbulent start, Bhuvneshwar admitted the team had to severely recalibrate their targets from the dugout.

“It was very satisfying because we didn’t really get the start we wanted,” the captain revealed. “During the 10-over break, our honest aim was to reach around 100 runs by the 15th over and add another 40 to 50 runs in the final five. Sitting in the dressing room, we thought even 130 to 140 would be a fighting total.”

What followed was a sensational 109-run partnership off just 64 balls between Ajeet Verma and Kritagya Singh that completely shifted the momentum. Verma smashed an unbeaten 75 off 45 balls, decorated with eight boundaries and three sixes, while Singh delivered a crucial 44 off 31, powering the Falcons to a highly competitive 170/5 in 20 overs.

“The maturity shown by Ajeet and Kritagya was excellent,” Bhuvneshwar noted. “That partnership was something we had been lacking in the tournament so far. The way we batted, we did much better than what we had expected. That partnership is the reason we are in this winning position today.”

The skipper reserved special praise for Verma, whose consistent performances demanded a regular spot. “He has made a massive impact. His batting has been so impressive that we had to bring him into the playing XI. It shows that when a youngster performs well, the entire team benefits.”

Defending 170, Gorakhpur’s chase was immediately derailed by Lucknow’s Abhinandan Singh, who cleaned up openers Abhay Pratap Singh and Aryan Chaudhary cheaply. The Lions stumbled to 70/5 in 10.3 overs after Akshu Bajwa claimed two wickets and Vipraj Nigam took one.

Refusing to surrender, Prince Yadav (49 off 36) and Parth Palawat built a dangerous 56-run stand off 40 balls to revive the chase. With 45 runs needed off the final 18 deliveries, Bhuvneshwar tossed the ball back to Abhinandan for the crucial 18th over.

The move paid off instantly. Abhinandan dismissed the well-set Yadav on the very first ball, and a run-out on the fourth delivery sent Palawat packing. Abhinandan finished his match-winning spell with excellent figures of 3/32. Bhuvneshwar then stepped up to dismiss his counterpart Shivam Sharma in the penultimate over, before Vipraj Nigam wrapped up the tail in the final over. Nigam finished with 3/17 as the Lions were bundled out for 146.

“Combined with the way we bowled, it was a very complete performance from us,” Bhuvneshwar concluded, as his side now looks ahead to the business end of the tournament.

–IANS

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