Nainital Tigers vs Rishikesh River Kings, UPL, Today Match Prediction 28 September 2025

NLT vs RIF Match Prediction & Analysis

Game five of the Uttarakhand Premier League 2025 brings Nainital SG Tigers up against Rishikesh Falcons. Nainital, who finished second last year, will be determined to go one step further and claim the title this season. Rishikesh, making their debut in the competition, will be eager to announce their arrival with a statement performance. This match promises to be a fascinating battle between experience and fresh ambition.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

NLT

RIF

W

TET

112/9 in 20.0 5.6

UPL

Rishikesh Falcons Won by 8 wickets 27 Sep 2025

RIF

113/2 in 12.2 9.16

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Nainital Tigers Preview

Nainital SG Tigers enjoyed an excellent campaign last time around, claiming second place during the group phase before going down in the final against USN Indians. They enter this new season with a refreshed roster and high expectations.

Aarav Mahajan will anchor their batting order after a productive spell last season with USN Indians, where he compiled 137 runs across five outings. Shashwat Dangwal is another reliable option who caught the eye previously, managing 106 runs from just four appearances in the competition.

Dikshanshu Negi brings talent and hunger to make his mark after smashing 104 runs from four games in the 2024 Uttarakhand Premier League.

Shashank Pant and Saurabh Rawat provide extra solidity and options to their batting setup.

Their bowling attack looks solid enough. Satyam Baliyan might play a big role after an outstanding previous season, where he claimed five scalps from four matches. Dhruv Pratap Singh and Piyush Singh can also be counted on to offer different options and backup.

Nainital Tigers Predicted Playing XI:

Shashank Pant, Aarav Mahajan, Shashwat Dangwal, Dikshanshu Negi, Saurabh Rawat (wk), Satyam Baliyan, Dhruv Pratap Singh, Piyush Singh, Rajya Vardhan Singh, Anmol Shah, Vishal Saini/ Shivansh Gautam

Nainital Tigers Actual Playing XI:

Aarav Mahajan, Bhupen Lalwani, Rajya Vardhan Singh, Shashwat Dangwal, Anmol Shah, Dikshanshu Negi, Tushar Kumar, Saurabh Rawat, Dhruv Pratap Singh, Vishal Saini, Rahul Namala, Satyam Baaliyan

Rishikesh River Kings Preview

Rishikesh Falcons could not have asked for a better start to their campaign. They dismantled Tehri Titans, holding them to just 112 for 9 before cruising to the target in 12.2 overs with eight wickets in hand. It was the kind of dominant result a new side needs to announce itself in the competition.

Abhyuday Bhatnagar led the scoring with a fluent 39 from 18 balls, while Poorvansh Dhruv stayed unbeaten on 32 from 27 and Akhil Rawat chipped in with 22 from 21 to finish the job.

In the matches to come, Allen Chetan will be expected to anchor their batting. His experience makes him an important part of the middle, along with skipper Akhil Rawat. The order also looks steady with Gaurav Negi, Poorvansh Dhruv, and Abhyuday Bhatnagar, each of whom can play useful knocks.

Their bowling looks well-balanced too. Jagadeesha Suchith brings plenty of experience and control in the middle overs. Jagmohan Nagarkoti impressed in the opener with his pace, snaring 3 for 13 in four overs, while Agrim Tiwari and Nikhil Pundir added two wickets apiece to complete a convincing effort.

Rishikesh River Kings Predicted Playing XI:

Allen Chetan, Akhil Rawat(WK/C), Gaurav Negi, Abhyuday Bhatnagar, Poorvansh Dhruv, Gopal Singh, Jagadeesha Suchith, Nikhil Pundir, Jagmohan Nagarkoti, Sunny Kashyap, Agrim Tiwari

Rishikesh River Kings Actual Playing XI:

Poorvansh Dhruv, Sunny Kashyap, Abhishek Barthwal, Jagmohan Nagarkoti, Akhil Rawat, Jagadeesha Suchith, Nikhil Pundir, Aasham Gulati, Agrim Tiwari, Gaurav Negi, Gopal Nagar Singh, Abhyuday Bhatnagar

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

Batters who spend time at the crease will find the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium surface to their liking, as the pitch provides little assistance to fast bowlers. As the game progresses into the evening, the surface may lose some pace, allowing spinners to extract turn and create opportunities. Overall, the conditions should stay conducive for batting throughout the match. 

The forecast suggests hazy skies but no rain, so the game is expected to proceed without any weather-related disruptions.

NLT vs RIF Pitch Report

The average score batting first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is around 170-180. For this game, a target of 190 will keep the chasing side under pressure.

Toss: To Bowl

Teams prefer chasing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, and we reckon the captain winning the toss will prefer to bowl first here.