Gorakhpur Lions beat Kanpur Superstars in DLS thriller despite Adarsh's ton
Synopsis
Adarsh Singh smashed the first century of UP T20 League season four — 101 off 54 balls — and still ended up on the losing side. Gorakhpur Lions, chasing 121 in 10 overs via DLS, needed 23 off the last 12 and got there on consecutive wides and a Kushwah boundary in one of the competition's most chaotic finishes.
Key Takeaways
Gaur Gorakhpur Lions beat Kanpur Superstars by 3 wickets via the DLS Method in Lucknow on 26 August .
Adarsh Singh scored an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls — the first century of UP T20 League season four and only the third in tournament history.
Rain forced a stoppage; the revised DLS target was 121 runs from 10 overs .
Nishant Kushwah hit 17 runs off the penultimate over to swing the match, then sealed it with a boundary off the last over.
Kanpur Superstars now have just one win from seven matches ; Gorakhpur Lions have three wins this season.
Adarsh Singh was named Player of the Match despite being on the losing side.
Gaur Gorakhpur Lions pulled off a dramatic three-wicket victory over Kanpur Superstars via the DLS Method in a rain-curtailed UP T20 League match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana International Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on Wednesday, 26 August. The result consigned opener Adarsh Singh's historic unbeaten century — the first of season four — to a losing cause.
Adarsh's Historic Knock
Adarsh Singh, who represented India at the 2024 U19 Men's Cricket World Cup, dominated from the first ball after Gorakhpur skipper Aryan Juyal elected to field. The opener blazed an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls, featuring three boundaries and nine sixes, to become the first centurion of UP T20 League season four and only the third in the tournament's history. His blitz powered Kanpur Superstars to a commanding 150/2 in 15.4 overs before heavy rain forced a lengthy stoppage.
DLS Revises the Target
When play resumed, match officials set a revised target of 121 runs from 10 overs — a steep ask that demanded near-boundary-a-ball scoring. The Lions responded with intent, racing to 73/4 in just five overs, fuelled by opener Abhay Pratap Singh's quickfire 33 off 17 balls. Dot balls then tightened the screws, leaving Gorakhpur needing 23 runs from the final 12 deliveries.
Kushwah's Decisive Over
Nishant Kushwah shifted the momentum decisively in the penultimate over, targeting pacer Vineet Panwar to plunder 17 runs and reduce the equation to a manageable six off the last six balls. Ajay Kumar bowled the final over but faltered under pressure, conceding two singles before removing Shivam Sharma. With four needed off three balls, consecutive wides from Ajay levelled the scores — and Kushwah sealed the win in style with a boundary, completing the chase with two balls to spare.
Standings and Awards
The defeat left Kanpur Superstars with a dismal record of one win from seven matches, while Gorakhpur Lions registered their third victory of the season. In a rare recognition, Adarsh Singh was named Player of the Match despite finishing on the losing side — a testament to the quality of his innings. This is the kind of final-over drama that has defined the UP T20 League's growing reputation as a high-intensity domestic circuit.
Point of View
And the fact that it did not get one speaks to how cruelly T20 cricket — and the DLS Method — can redistribute outcomes. Kanpur's batting was exceptional; their bowling, especially in the death, was not. Six losses from seven matches is a structural problem, not a one-off collapse. For Gorakhpur, winning a chase of 121 in 10 overs — without a specialist finisher in control until Kushwah's over — exposes how fine the margins are in this format. The Lions should not read this as comfortable; they nearly gave it away before Ajay Kumar's wides handed them the match.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of the Gorakhpur Lions vs Kanpur Superstars UP T20 League match on 26 August?
Gaur Gorakhpur Lions defeated Kanpur Superstars by three wickets via the DLS Method in a rain-curtailed UP T20 League match in Lucknow on 26 August. Gorakhpur chased down a revised target of 121 runs in 10 overs with two balls to spare.
What did Adarsh Singh score in the UP T20 League match?
Adarsh Singh scored an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls, including three boundaries and nine sixes. It was the first century of UP T20 League season four and only the third in the tournament's history.
How did the DLS Method affect the match?
Heavy rain interrupted play after Kanpur Superstars reached 150/2 in 15.4 overs. When play resumed, the DLS Method revised Gorakhpur's target to 121 runs from 10 overs, making it a high-pressure sprint rather than a standard chase.
Who won the Player of the Match award?
Adarsh Singh was named Player of the Match despite his team, Kanpur Superstars, losing the match — a recognition of his outstanding unbeaten century of 101 off 54 balls.
What is Kanpur Superstars' standing in the UP T20 League season four?
Kanpur Superstars have won just one of their seven matches in UP T20 League season four, making this their sixth defeat. Gorakhpur Lions, by contrast, now have three wins to their name.
