UPL is a vital IPL and national cricket feeder for Uttarakhand: Sunil Joshi
Synopsis
UPL Chairperson Sunil Joshi says the Uttarakhand Premier League — with seven teams and 77 players — is no longer just a local competition. It is now a structured IPL and national-team feeder, producing the likes of Mumbai Indians' Akash Madhwal and women's cricketers Raghvi Bisht and Prema Rawat from villages in the Himalayas.
Key Takeaways
Sunil Joshi , UPL Chairperson, called the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) a vital feeder for the IPL , WPL , and Indian national teams on 25 September 2026 .
The current UPL edition features seven franchises providing opportunities to approximately 77 players .
Mumbai Indians pacer Akash Madhwal and women's cricketers Raghvi Bisht , Prema Rawat , Nandini Kashyap , and Neelam Bhardwaj were cited as success stories from the UPL pipeline.
A structured scouting system identifies talent from the village level upward through district and state frameworks.
Most UPL players are aged around 19 or 20 , targeting high-performance exposure at a crucial developmental stage.
Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) Chairperson Sunil Joshi on Friday, 25 September 2026, said the franchise tournament is rapidly becoming a critical feeder system for the state's cricketing talent, opening direct pathways to the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Women's Premier League (WPL), and the senior national teams. Joshi made the remarks in an official statement released by the tournament from Dehradun.
UPL as a Pathway Beyond Ranji Trophy
'UPL is a platform for players. It gives them a pathway to move towards the India level and potentially the IPL. There are several state-level competitions, including Ranji Trophy and Under-19 cricket, but UPL gives opportunities to players who may not have been selected for those teams. They get a chance to play for one of the teams and showcase their talent,' Joshi said.
He emphasised that the league is designed not to replace traditional competitions but to widen the talent funnel significantly. With seven franchises fielding a combined pool of roughly 77 players, UPL offers far more competitive exposure than the limited roster spots available in a Ranji Trophy squad.
Homegrown Success Stories
Joshi cited the rise of Mumbai Indians pacer Akash Madhwal as a marquee example of a player who came through Uttarakhand's cricketing system and reached the IPL. On the women's side, he pointed to Raghvi Bisht, Prema Rawat, Nandini Kashyap, and Neelam Bhardwaj as cricketers who have emerged from the state pipeline. 'We have seen players like Raghvi Bisht, Prema Rawat, Neelam Bhardwaj and several other young cricketers coming through the system,' he noted.
Rawat's journey was singled out as especially instructive. Joshi described her as 'one such example of a player who has come through a challenging background and reached this level,' underscoring that hard work and systemic support can overcome infrastructure gaps in remote, mountainous areas.
Talent Identification from Village to State Level
Joshi detailed a structured scouting model that begins at the village level and feeds upward through district and state frameworks. 'Children who play cricket in villages are identified and brought into the district system. Even if the facilities at that level are limited, the children continue to work hard and develop their skills,' he explained.
He acknowledged the administrative groundwork laid by former secretary Mahim Verma and PC Verma in building Uttarakhand's broader cricket ecosystem, crediting their efforts as foundational to the current pipeline.
Scale and Competitive Quality of the Current Edition
The ongoing UPL edition features seven teams, each providing a window for emerging players — most of them aged around 19 or 20 — to perform in a structured franchise environment. Joshi noted that every team carries at least 'one or two quality players,' which he attributed to the close, competitive nature of fixtures seen so far.
'Our vision is to see UPL continue to grow and produce more players for the IPL, the Women's Premier League and, ultimately, the Indian team. Every player wants to represent the country, and we want to create an environment where more youngsters from Uttarakhand get that opportunity,' he said.
What's Next for UPL
With the league still in progress, Joshi expressed confidence that the current batch of players would continue to draw the attention of IPL franchise scouts and national selectors. The expansion to seven teams signals an intent to deepen rather than consolidate the talent base, suggesting further structural growth could be on the horizon for Uttarakhand cricket.
Point of View
Like many BCCI associate states, produces talent that gets filtered out before ever reaching a competitive stage. The Akash Madhwal example is genuine validation, but the real test is whether the pipeline is replicable at scale — one IPL success story and a handful of women's cricketers does not yet constitute a system. The village-to-state scouting model is promising, yet infrastructure gaps in mountainous districts remain a persistent constraint that enthusiasm alone cannot bridge.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL)?
The Uttarakhand Premier League (UPL) is a franchise cricket tournament in Uttarakhand, designed to give state players — including those who miss out on Ranji Trophy selection — structured competitive exposure. The current edition features seven franchises fielding around 77 players, most of them aged 19 or 20.
How is UPL helping players reach the IPL and Indian national team?
UPL Chairperson Sunil Joshi says the league acts as a bridge between grassroots cricket and high-performance environments. Players who pass through the UPL pipeline, such as Mumbai Indians pacer Akash Madhwal, have gone on to represent IPL franchises, while women cricketers like Raghvi Bisht and Prema Rawat have reached the national level.
Who are some players that have emerged from the UPL system?
Joshi named Mumbai Indians pacer Akash Madhwal as an IPL success story from Uttarakhand's cricket pipeline. On the women's side, he cited Raghvi Bisht, Prema Rawat, Nandini Kashyap, and Neelam Bhardwaj as cricketers who have progressed through the UPL framework.
How does Uttarakhand identify cricket talent from remote areas?
The state uses a structured scouting model that begins at the village level, moves to district cricket, and then integrates players into the state framework. Joshi highlighted that even players from areas with limited facilities are identified and developed, with Prema Rawat cited as an example of someone who overcame a challenging background.
Why does UPL matter compared to Ranji Trophy for young players?
Ranji Trophy squads have a limited number of spots, meaning many talented players never get competitive exposure. UPL's seven-franchise format creates roughly 77 playing opportunities per edition, offering a significantly larger pool of young cricketers a stage to perform and be noticed by IPL scouts and national selectors.
