Ultimate Kricket Challenge puts at stake USD 1 million for season 2

NEW DELHI: The 2021 season of the Ultimate Kricket Challenge (UKC), a unique one-on-one cricket tournament, will offer a hefty USD one million prize purse to the winner, the organisers said on Saturday. Six star all-rounders, including India's Yuvraj Singh, along with five others are part of the ongoing inaugural season, which kicked off on December 24.

"Season 2 will have more than 6 superstars vying to be declared the real champ in a one-on-one format as well as USD 1 million as winners cheque," UKC chairman Ravi Thakran said in a release.

The second season of the event will commence in first quarter of 2021. The first season, which concludes on January 1 next year, has six global superstars as contenders - Yuvraj, Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, Rashid Khan, Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell.

The 16-match tournament has new cricket rules with each match consisting of two contenders squaring off against each other across 4 innings of 15-balls each in every match. Each innings consists of 15 balls and a UKC contender must bowl a minimum of 8 balls per inning, while a sub player - an 'Ace' - can bowl a maximum of 7 balls per innings.

Each contender when bowling is assisted by 1 fielder and 1 wicketkeeper inside the UKC Dome. A contender while batting can gain run(s) only after they complete a physical run. Scoring is divided into six scoring zones of 1 run, 2 runs, 3 runs, 4 runs, 6 runs and 12 runs, if a batter hits the Bullseye. Every time a batter gets out, 5 runs are deducted from the total.