Former India batsman Yuvraj Singh, former England captain Kevin Pietersen and four other cricketers will be part of the first exhilarating season of the brand-new gladiatorial cricket series named 'Ultimate Kricket Challenge (UKC)'.
Apart from Yuvraj and Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, and Rashid Khan will also participate in the tournament. The superstars will go head-to-head against each other, every day at 9:30 PM on the Star Sports Network from 24th December to 1st January.
The 16-match tournament will see the introduction of new cricket rules in a new one-on-one cricket match format. Each match will consist of two UKC contenders squaring off against each other in four innings of 15 balls.
"Cricket has been at the heart of every Indian fan and, but it needs to constantly evolve, constantly excite. UKC is that evolution. This brand-new format is wonderful. It's what cricket is about. Player versus player. No distractions. One on one.
It's exciting and it's the future of cricket that I know will strike a chord with viewers and fans. I am up for this challenge to be the best in the world and hope to emulate my 2007 T20 World Cup feat of six consecutive sixes in the UKC as well. Hoping for a great show in Dubai and to beat all the others," Yuvraj said in an official release issued by Star India.
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The first of its kind, this 16-match tournament will see the introduction of new cricket rules in a new one-on-one cricket match format. Each match will consist of 2 UKC contenders squaring off against each other across 4 innings of 15 balls each in every match.
2 points are awarded for a UKC contender winning a match in the league stage and the UKC contender with more runs at the end of each match is the winner. The top 4 UKC contenders from the league rounds enter the semi-finals, which are knock-out matches.
A UKC Contender while batting can gain runs only after they complete a physical run. The scoring is divided into 6 scoring zones: Zone A - 1 run, Zone B- 1 run, Zone C - 2 runs, Zone D - 3 runs, Zone E - with a bounce 4 runs, Zone E- direct 6 runs.
But if a batsman hits the bullseye (behind the bowler), he scores 12 runs and gains an extra ball to play. Bullseye on the square of wickets will get the batter 4 runs. Every time a batter gets out, 5 runs are deducted from the total.
(India today inputs)
