Haridwar Elmas vs Rishikesh River Kings Prediction, 4th T20, UPL 2026

Haridwar Elmas vs Rishikesh River Kings prediction for the 4th T20 of the Uttarakhand Premier League 2026 brings the defending champions into a contest against a newly named Rishikesh River Kings side built around fast bowler Akash Madhwal. Haridwar opened their title defence with a two-wicket victory over Nainital Tigers, chasing 167 with one ball remaining. That result gives them two valuable points and an early indication that their batting depth remains a significant strength.

Rishikesh River Kings, meanwhile, begin their 2026 campaign in this match. The franchise appears under the River Kings name after Rishikesh competed as the Falcons in the previous UPL season. Akash Madhwal is the team’s icon player, while the squad also contains Dikshanshu Negi, Akhil Singh Rawat, Vishal Kashyap, Prashant Chauhan and several other Uttarakhand players.

The match is scheduled for September 24 at 3:00 PM IST at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun. The UPL 2026 men’s tournament has seven teams playing a single round-robin league, with each side playing six matches before the knockout stage.

Haridwar’s opening match was a close chase. Daksh Awana made 74 from 55 balls and Saurabh Rawat added 25 from 15, while Rakshit Dalakoti supplied a late 16 from 10 to take the Elmas over the line.

The major question for Rishikesh is whether their 2025 performance as the Falcons can translate into the new season. The previous Falcons side defeated Haridwar Spring Elmas by seven wickets in their only recorded head-to-head meeting, chasing 194 with three balls remaining.

Match Details

Haridwar Elmas Last 5 Matches

Rishikesh River Kings Last 5 Matches

The 2025 Falcons were capable of extreme batting performances. Their 257/8 against Pithoragarh was followed by a 231/6 chase against USN Indians, but they also had two heavy defeats in their final five matches.

Haridwar Elmas Preview

Haridwar enter this match with two points after defeating Nainital Tigers by two wickets. Their first innings of the season was not completely smooth, but the side recovered effectively after losing early wickets and eventually reached 167/8 in 19.5 overs.

The standout batting performance came from Daksh Awana, who scored 74 from 55 balls with nine fours and one six. His innings gave Haridwar a stable platform while the middle order continued the chase. Saurabh Rawat then accelerated with 25 from 15 balls, and Rakshit Dalakoti’s unbeaten 16 from 10 helped close out the match.

Yuvraj Choudhary, Haridwar’s 2026 icon player, scored 13 from nine in the opener. Shashwat Dangwal added 23, showing that Haridwar have several players capable of contributing rather than relying entirely on one batter.

The bowling attack also has a useful early-season reference point. Sankalp Patodia took four wickets against Haridwar in that match, but importantly he plays for Nainital rather than Haridwar; Haridwar’s own bowling was led by the need to defend a total of 166 before ultimately completing the chase.

The first match also showed Haridwar’s bowling vulnerability. Nainital reached 166/8, with Haridwar needing 19.5 overs to chase the target. The Elmas therefore cannot afford to allow Rishikesh’s top order to settle.

The 2026 squad combines returning names such as Shashwat Dangwal, Saurabh Rawat, Janmejay Joshi and Saurav Chauhan with a broader group of players selected for the new season. Yuvraj Choudhary is the team’s icon player.

Haridwar’s ideal approach is to attack Rishikesh’s batting early, particularly because the River Kings have Akash Madhwal as their major bowling weapon. If the Elmas preserve wickets against Madhwal and reach the middle overs with a stable platform, their batting depth could become increasingly important.

The defending champions also have the advantage of having already experienced the 2026 venue under match conditions. Their opening victory came at the same stadium.

Rishikesh River Kings Preview

Rishikesh River Kings begin their 2026 campaign with one of the tournament’s most recognisable pace bowlers, Akash Madhwal, as their icon player. Madhwal’s presence gives the River Kings a proven new-ball and death-over option, although his exact workload and role in this particular game will depend on the final XI.

The 2026 squad contains Akhil Singh Rawat, Dikshanshu Negi, Vishal Kashyap, Mohd. Ahmed, Amrinder Virk, Prashant Chauhan and other players from Uttarakhand’s domestic system.

Historical form from the 2025 Rishikesh Falcons side is encouraging in terms of scoring ceiling. The Falcons made 257/8 against Pithoragarh and 231/6 against USN Indians. Those innings demonstrate that the franchise’s broader player pool has previously been capable of sustaining aggressive scoring across 20 overs.

However, the same five-match contains a 98/9 against Nainital and 123 all out against Dehradun Warriors. That inconsistency is important because Haridwar already possess match experience from their opening 2026 fixture.

The most important player for Rishikesh is likely to be Madhwal. His pace can provide a direct counter to Haridwar’s top order, particularly if the surface again offers the fast and bouncy characteristics recorded during the opening UPL match at the venue.

Akhil Singh Rawat is another player to watch. Cricket World identified him among the leading batting options for the River Kings, while Dikshanshu Negi was highlighted as a potential six-hitting option in its pre-match assessment.

Rishikesh’s tactical objective should be to make the most of their bowling strength before relying on the chase. If Madhwal and the supporting attack can remove two or three Haridwar batters early, the defending champions could be forced into a lower-than-par total.

With the bat, the River Kings need to avoid repeating the collapses seen in the 2025 Falcons campaign. Their high scores show the ceiling, but their low scores show the risk when the top order fails.

Team Squad & Team News

Haridwar Elmas Squad

Yuvraj Choudhary, Shashwat Dangwal, Saurabh Rawat, Janmejay Joshi, Saurav Chauhan, Abhay Chettri, Dhruv Pratap Singh, Kunal Veer Singh, Rakshit Rohi, Siddharth Gupta, Rakshit Dalakoti, Mayank Mudila, Daksh Awana, Sachin Yadav, Priyank Singh, Himanshu Sony, Durgesh Bhatt, Sagar Rathi, Md Zaid and Rahul.

Icon player: Yuvraj Choudhary.

Rishikesh River Kings Squad

Akash Madhwal, Prashant Chauhan, Aashish Choudhary, Dikshanshu Negi, Akhil Singh Rawat, Vishal Kashyap, Mohd. Ahmed, Amrinder Virk, Abhyuday Bhatnagar, Atul Saini, Kanhaiya Bhatt, Yuvraj Pratap Singh, Naman Sharma, Vishal Saini, Sohit Tomar, Jitender Pal, Mannavar Ali, Lokesh Singh Samant, Sahil Rawat and Divyansh Sengar.

Icon player: Akash Madhwal.

Probable Playing XI

Haridwar Elmas vs Rishikesh River Kings Dream11 / Fantasy Prediction

Captain Options

1. Daksh Awana — His 74 from 55 balls in Haridwar’s opening match gives him the clearest current-season batting evidence.
2. Akash Madhwal — His bowling role gives him wicket-taking potential, particularly against an aggressive Haridwar batting unit.

Vice-Captain Options

1. Yuvraj Choudhary — Haridwar’s icon player and an established top-order option.
2. Akhil Singh Rawat — A key Rishikesh batting option who can provide value if the River Kings’ top order gets going.

Players to Avoid

1. Unconfirmed lower-order selections — Their exact batting and bowling involvement is not sufficiently established before the toss.
2. Players without a confirmed 2026 role — The opening match provides little evidence for Rishikesh’s exact combination.

Fantasy suggestions are for informational purposes only and are not guaranteed to produce points or returns.

Haridwar Elmas vs Rishikesh River Kings Head-to-Head

Last Head-to-Head Meeting

Pitch Report & Venue Stats

The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium has historically produced useful T20 scoring numbers. Cricbuzz lists six T20 matches at the venue, with an average first-innings score of 177 and an average second-innings score of 151. Four of those six matches were won by the side batting first. The highest recorded T20 total is 278/3.

More relevant to this particular tournament, Haridwar scored 167/8 against Nainital after Nainital had made 166/8 in the opening men’s match of UPL 2026. The pitch report for that game described the surface as fast and bouncy, with average batting conditions and pace-and-bounce assistance for fast bowlers.

That combination could make Madhwal particularly important. A fresh afternoon surface should offer enough pace for stroke-making, but seamers who hit a good length may also get assistance.

The projected scores below are therefore deliberately lower than the venue’s historical 177 average in some scenarios because the current UPL has produced competitive totals around the mid-160s.

Weather Report

The India Meteorological Department’s Dehradun forecast for September 24 calls for mainly clear conditions becoming partly cloudy towards the afternoon or evening, with a maximum temperature around 34°C and no warning for the day.

That is more favourable for an uninterrupted afternoon match than the later-week forecast. The IMD’s warning outlook places the more significant thunderstorm and rain risk from September 25 onward.

For this match, weather is therefore not a major pre-match factor. The warm afternoon could make the ball travel well, while humidity may increase later, but there is no current official warning suggesting that rain should materially alter the prediction.

Broadcast Details

Haridwar Elmas vs Rishikesh River Kings Toss Prediction & Strategy

If Haridwar Elmas win the toss

Haridwar could choose to bat first if the pitch appears fresh and hard. Historical venue data gives batting-first sides a 4-2 record in the listed six T20 matches, while Haridwar’s own opening game showed that 160-plus is competitive at this ground.

A first-innings total around 170 would allow their bowling attack to put pressure on a Rishikesh side playing its first 2026 match.

If Rishikesh River Kings win the toss

Rishikesh could also prefer to bat first, particularly because their previous Falcons incarnation demonstrated a high scoring ceiling. Their 257/8 against Pithoragarh and 231/6 against USN Indians show that the franchise’s historical batting approach can benefit from setting a target.

Toss Prediction

Predicted toss winner: Rishikesh River Kings

The toss itself is a random event and should not be treated as a major component of the match assessment.

Score Prediction

Winning Chances

Why the Win Percentage?

The most important factor is current match evidence. Haridwar have already chased 167 successfully in this tournament, while Rishikesh have not yet played a 2026 fixture.

The second factor is Haridwar’s batting depth. Awana’s 74 was followed by useful contributions from Rawat and Dalakoti, allowing the defending champions to complete a close chase.

The biggest counterweight is Akash Madhwal. His presence means Rishikesh have a bowler capable of creating early pressure, while their historical 2025 batting results demonstrate that the franchise can score quickly when the top order succeeds.

Key Player Matchups

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