Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 4 (ANI): After engineering a breathtaking comeback in UPT20 League history, Noida Kings skipper Prashant Veer dedicated his Player of the Match award to Kartik Siddhu, who claimed a hat-trick in the game.
Despite smashing an unbeaten 58 off 28 balls and taking two crucial wickets to earn the Player of the Match honours in the Eliminator, Veer chose to celebrate his teammate's heroics over his own, according to a press release from the UPT20 League.
With two-time defending champions Kashi Rudras needing just 17 runs off the final 12 balls, Veer handed the ball to Kartik Siddhu. Siddhu responded with a sensational hat-trick, conceding just three runs and turning the match on its head.
"We were very confident that there was still a chance for us," Veer said, reflecting on the chaotic final moments of the one-run victory. "We felt that if we could get one or two wickets, we could get back into the game. That’s exactly what happened. Especially the way Siddhu bowled was extraordinary. He picked up a hat-trick and brought us right back into the match. I would like to dedicate my Player of the Match award to Kartik Siddhu."
The decision to bowl Siddhu at such a critical juncture was a calculated risk based on sharp situational awareness.
"I was watching how Naman was bowling from the other end," the captain explained. "The ball wasn’t really gripping; it was coming on quite nicely, and it was a little wet. The boundaries were also very short on that side. So I thought we should take a chance because they needed only 17 runs. We just needed wickets, and I felt Siddhu would give us a better chance of getting them."
Following Siddhu's masterclass, the immense pressure of defending 14 runs in the final over fell to Vansh, a player in his very first season with the active squad. Despite the soaring tension, Veer never doubted his young pacer.
"I had a lot of belief in him as well," Veer noted. "He has been preparing for this for the last two or three years. This is his first season on the team after being around for three years, but I trusted him to get the job done. He conceded one six, but even that could probably have been a catch if we had a fielder a little deeper. I had complete trust in him."
Before his heroics in the field, Veer completely altered the trajectory of the first innings. Caught and bowled on the second ball of the 19th over, he was handed a massive lifeline when the delivery was ruled a no-ball. A brief rain delay immediately followed, giving the skipper time to recalibrate.
"When I survived the no-ball, I went back and thought about what else I could do," he revealed. "There were only 10 balls left, so I had to make something happen. I decided that I would try to hit the ball behind or over the field, depending on where it was bowled."
Understanding that the seam movement was favouring the fast bowlers early on, Veer adapted his approach to exploit different areas of the ground, eventually launching a hat-trick of sixes in the final over to propel Noida to 154/6.
Defending the total, Veer's initial game plan was disrupted when early wickets didn't materialise, but a strategic pivot in the middle overs kept the Noida Kings in the hunt.
"We were very confident that it could be a one-sided game because when we were batting, their fast bowlers were bowling really well and the ball was doing quite a bit," Veer shared. "I thought that if we could get one or two early wickets, maybe Abhishek Goswami or Karan Sharma, we would be right back in the game. But that didn’t happen. Then we changed the ball after 10 overs, and that’s where the game changed for us."
Navigating such high-pressure scenarios requires strong support, and the skipper credits his experienced teammates for making his job easier.
"I’m definitely enjoying captaincy," Veer smiled, having gained exposure to international players like MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad during his time with CSK in IPL 2026. "My seniors have been very supportive. I speak to people like Shiva Singh, Aditya Sharma, and Madhav Kaushik and take their opinions before making decisions. That has helped us make some very good decisions. So far, everything is going really well."
With this monumental victory in the bank, Veer and his resilient Noida Kings now march into Qualifier 2, carrying massive momentum and absolute belief as they prepare to face the Meerut Mavericks. (ANI)
"He brought us right back:" Prashant Veer dedicates his POTM to hat-trick hero Kartik Siddhu in UPT20 2026 Eliminator
