Kashi Rudras Beat Kanpur Superstars by Eight Wickets for First UPT20 Win

Kashi Rudras answered the frustration of their last-ball opening defeat with a commanding eight-wicket win over Kanpur Superstars on Sunday, completing the highest successful chase of UPT20 season four so far. Set 164 at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, Kashi reached the target in 18.1 overs after a 135-run partnership between opener Abhishek Goswami and captain Karan Sharma.

Karan’s decision to field first looked risky for a while. Kanpur used favourable batting conditions to reach 163 for four, the largest first-innings total of the young season. Captain Sameer Rizvi held the innings together with an unbeaten 71 from 47 balls, finding eight fours and two sixes while ensuring the Superstars did not lose momentum through the middle overs.

Kashi’s reply began with a measure of caution, understandable after the narrow loss to Meerut Mavericks in their opener. Once Goswami and Karan settled, however, the chase became controlled rather than frantic. They rotated the strike, punished loose balls and refused to let the required rate climb. Their 135-run stand shifted the match so decisively that Kanpur’s bowlers were left searching for a passage back into the contest.

The victory matters beyond the two points. Kashi’s opening game had exposed how a strong bowling effort can be undone by a modest total and one expensive final over. Against Kanpur, the batting order produced the long partnership that had been missing. A chase of 164 also demanded better tempo than survival: the top order had to choose scoring options early and leave enough margin to avoid a final-over scramble.

The match began with a ceremonial coin toss conducted by Dr Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, Uttar Pradesh’s Secretary for Sports and Youth Welfare and an internationally accomplished para-badminton player. League officials presented him with a memento before play. The moment linked a franchise tournament built around Uttar Pradesh cities with the state’s broader sporting ambitions.

Kashi will still want sharper work across a full 40 overs. Kanpur’s 163 for four showed that wickets were difficult to force once a batter was set, and later opponents will study the areas Rizvi exploited. Yet this was the response the defending champions needed: uncomplicated, professional and built on two senior batters accepting responsibility.

For Varanasi supporters, the result also restores momentum after a bruising opener. One win does not settle a long league campaign, but an eight-wicket chase offers a clear template—contain the opposition, build one substantial partnership and finish before pressure can accumulate. Kashi Rudras are now off the mark, and the manner of the victory suggests their title defence has found its rhythm.