UPT20 League Governing Council Chairman Sanjay Kapoor has predicted that Uttar Pradesh's franchise T20 competition will become the top state-level cricket league in India within the next five years, ranking only behind the Indian Premier League (IPL). The bold projection comes as the league's fourth season gets underway, already recording 55 million views across platforms after just eight league matches.

A Platform 'Equivalent' to the IPL

Kapoor was emphatic about the league's standing, drawing a direct comparison with India's premier T20 competition. 'It's immaculate (the platform). You can say this platform is equivalent to the IPL (in terms of what it is doing). We are doing what is in the IPL. We broadcast on Jio, on Star Sports,' he said.

The UPT20 League is broadcast in 150 countries, a reach that Kapoor argues places it in a different league from most state T20 competitions. The current season features prominent Indian internationals including Rinku Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohsin Khan, Sameer Rizvi, Prashant Veer, and Swastik Chikara, lending the competition significant star power.

Viewership Already Surpassing Last Season

Kapoor confirmed that the league has already crossed its previous season's viewership figures, with growth across video coverage, social media, and interactive platforms. 'We have 55 million (views) now right after eight league matches. So this year, in video coverage, views, Instagram, we are all in all the places on the positive side. Leaving interactivity aside, we will be No.1 in the country after IPL in positive cricket (in five years),' he stated.

This comes amid a broader surge in state-level T20 leagues across India, with competitions from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan also vying for viewership and talent. The UPT20 League's combination of established international names and emerging local talent appears to be a key differentiator.

Dressing Room with Stalwarts: A Dream for Young Players

Beyond the broadcast numbers, Kapoor highlighted the developmental value of the league for up-and-coming cricketers. Sharing a dressing room with seasoned professionals like Rinku Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar is, he argued, transformative for young players. 'When you share your dressing room with stalwarts, then your dreams come true in a way. You are sitting with them, talking to them, seeing their body language. When you follow them, see them, learn from them, you take their positives; you get to learn a lot. When you learn, you become a big player,' Kapoor said.

Speed Hunt Initiative Unearths Raw Talent

The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has launched a 'speed hunt' initiative designed to identify and fast-track promising fast bowlers from across the state into the league's auction pool. Young speedsters are auditioned and, if selected, enter the auction where franchises bid for their services.

A standout example from the current season is young fast bowler Shubham Gautam, who was picked up by Noida Kings through the speed hunt for ₹21.5 lakh — a figure that underscores the financial opportunity the initiative creates. 'The beauty of this is that it allows us to pick talented youngsters from around the state. That was the vision of Rajiv Shukla ji,' Kapoor noted. Players who might otherwise go unnoticed can enter the auction at a base price of ₹2 lakh and walk away with multiples of that amount.

With viewership climbing, international distribution in place, and a grassroots talent pipeline through the speed hunt, the UPT20 League appears set on a trajectory that could make Kapoor's five-year prediction more than just ambition.