Lucknow: As the countdown to the third edition of the Uttar Pradesh T20 (UP T20) League begins, eyes are once again fixed on the Lucknow Falcons—a franchise that has captured imaginations, stirred hope, and narrowly missed glory. With the 2025 season set to unfold between August and September, the Falcons are gearing up for redemption. After a spirited 2024 campaign under the experienced leadership of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the side’s ambitions are sky-high, bolstered by youth, strategy, and the hunger to clinch their maiden title.
A League Maturing, and a Team in Pursuit
The UP T20 League, organized by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, has quickly matured into a breeding ground for local talent and high-octane competition. With six city-based teams in a double round-robin format leading to playoffs, the 2025 edition promises 30 league encounters and four knockout clashes.
The 2024 edition, held at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, crowned the Meerut Mavericks as champions. The Lucknow Falcons, who finished second in the league stage with a 6-4 record, were denied a place in the final after a 9-run defeat to the Mavericks in Qualifier 1—a match that encapsulated both their grit and their frailties.
With the league returning to Ekana Stadium—a venue known for its batting-friendly wickets—the stage is reset. For Lucknow, the goal is clear: fly higher, steadier, and farther.
Squad Composition: Experience Meets Youth
A hallmark of the Falcons’ roster over the past two years has been its balance—experienced heads anchoring young legs, a formula likely to be retained in 2025.
Leadership and Retentions
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Captain): The heartbeat of the franchise. Bought for ₹35 lakh in 2024, Bhuvneshwar’s guile with the new ball and nerves of steel in the death overs make him indispensable. His 14 wickets in 2023 and leadership maturity helped the Falcons recover from early setbacks last year. In the seamer-friendly early overs at Green Park, his swing could prove decisive.
- Priyam Garg: The former India U-19 captain offers experience, calmness, and firepower. Often the glue in the middle order, Garg’s ability to shift gears has helped the Falcons both in setting targets and pacing chases. Having led the team briefly in 2023, his leadership aura complements Bhuvneshwar’s.
- Aaradhya Yadav: Emerging as one of UP T20’s finest wicketkeeper-batters, Yadav played multiple rescue acts in 2024. His 71* in 2023 against the Gorakhpur Lions remains a fan favourite, and his finishing skills will be vital.
- Harsh Tyagi: More than just a tidy left-arm spinner, Tyagi brings runs from the lower order. Falcons’ top run-scorer in 2023, he bridges the roles of anchor, aggressor, and spinner.
- Kritagya Singh: Remember the nail-biting Super Over against the Lions in 2023? Singh’s clutch 37 off 24 ensured the Falcons had a shot. As a finisher, his late-order hitting will again be in demand.
Emerging Faces and New Blood
The 2024 season introduced new faces like Prashant Chaudhary, Kamil Khan, Vipraj Nigam, and Sameer Choudhary. Their mix of aggressive intent and calm execution added new dimensions. Akshu Bajwa, Parv Singh, and Aditya Kumar Singh were exciting additions, particularly in the bowling unit.
Kirti Vardhan Upadhyay and Shubhang Raj, expected to be retained or re-drafted, bring depth to both departments. Smart auction moves in 2025 to plug gaps—particularly in death bowling and middle-order stability.
Flashbacks to 2024: Learning from Near Misses
The 2024 journey was a microcosm of what the Falcons are capable of—disappointment, revival, and resilience.
Strengths
- Batting Resilience: Whether it was Yadav’s unbeaten knock or Tyagi and Garg’s calm partnerships, the Falcons repeatedly showed they could bounce back. Posting 183/5 against the Lions in 2023, despite early wickets, was a perfect example of that depth.
- Bowling Versatility: Bhuvneshwar’s swing, Chaudhary’s economy, and Nigam’s ability to break partnerships kept the Falcons competitive. In a tense Super Over, they defended 9 runs—testimony to their nerve.
- Mental Grit: Losing 3 of their first 4 matches could’ve derailed their campaign. Instead, they won 4 of their last 5 league games. Such fight speaks volumes about dressing room belief and leadership.
Weaknesses
- Shaky Powerplays: In 2023, they stumbled to 39/2 in the powerplay against the Lions—a trend that resurfaced in early 2024 matches. The top order must handle swing better, especially at Green Park.
- Playoff Pressure: The 9-run loss to the Mavericks in 2024’s Qualifier 1 still haunts. From 101/4, they collapsed to 144 all out, losing 6 wickets for 43 runs. The inability to finish chases remains a concern.
- Death Bowling: While Bhuvneshwar shone, others leaked runs late in the innings. Giving away 28 in the final three overs against the Lions in 2023 almost cost them.
2025 Strategy: Calculated Aggression
Expect the Falcons to tweak their style—a blend of aggression up top and control in the middle overs.
Batting Blueprint
Openers like Samarth Singh and Parth Palawat might be asked to go hard early, setting the platform. In the middle, Garg, Tyagi, and Yadav will aim for smart rotation with late acceleration. Fireworks from Hardeep Singh, known for his three sixes in four balls cameo in 2023, could add late drama.
Bowling Game Plan
The pitch will tempt Bhuvneshwar to swing it up front. If Aditya Kumar Singh or Chaudhary can back him, early breakthroughs will follow. In the middle overs, Tyagi’s spin and Nigam’s variation will hold fort.
But the key lies at the death—will the Falcons invest in a designated death-over specialist? Someone to partner Bhuvneshwar in the crunch?
Tactical Influence
Though not officially involved, the influence of Gautam Gambhir’s coaching philosophy—seen through his successful 2024 IPL stint with KKR—resonates. Discipline, no star culture, and strategic matchups have defined Gambhir’s ethos, and it’s echoed in how the Falcons prepare. Expect a “team-first” culture to persist.
The Roadblocks: Fierce Rivals Await
Lucknow’s road to the final won’t be smooth. The Meerut Mavericks, powered by Rinku Singh’s explosive batting and Swastik Chikara’s top-order consistency, were dominant last season with an 8-2 record. They beat the Falcons twice—both psychologically wounding defeats.
The Kanpur Superstars, with all-rounder Sameer Rizvi at the helm, outgunned Lucknow in a high-stakes clash last year. The Gorakhpur Lions, unpredictable but dangerous, and the Kashi Rudras, led by Karan Sharma, add further bite to the tournament.
The Falcons must exorcise the Mavericks’ ghost and prove they can handle playoff pressure. Their adaptability to Kanpur’s high-scoring nature could be their trump card.
Fan Fever and Media Glare
The Falcons aren’t just a team—they’re a city’s pride. Backed by Ekana Sportz City and GC Construction, their branding—a purple falcon with yellow outline—symbolizes ambition, speed, and precision.
Social media is buzzing. On X, hashtags like #FalconsFlyHigh and #BhuviBrigade trend with every win. Fans adore the squad’s fight, but the narrative is shifting from “potential” to “performance.”
Cricket portals like Cricketaddictor and Crictracker rank them among the top two contenders this season, citing squad depth and tactical growth.
Final Word: Time to Fly
The Lucknow Falcons in 2025 aren’t rebuilding—they’re reloading.
They’ve tasted disappointment, responded with grit, and shown flashes of brilliance. Led by a seasoned captain, supported by versatile talent, and riding on the learnings of two seasons, the time is ripe to turn near misses into history.
With better powerplay batting, sharper death bowling, and a composed approach in high-pressure games, this team has everything it needs to soar. In a league as fiercely contested as UP T20, fortune favours the bold—but it also favours the prepared.
Will 2025 be the year the Falcons finally take flight all the way to the summit? Lucknow believes.
