India’s corporate cricket league returns for a fifth season, bigger than the last
The fifth edition of the Payments Heroes League (PHL) concluded on 8th May 2026 at the KIIT International Cricket Ground in Bhubaneswar, after seven days of T20 cricket between teams drawn from the Payments, Fintech, and BFSI ecosystem.
Hosted and conceptualised by iServeU and powered by Axis Bank as the Title Sponsor, the tournament brought together former Ranji Trophy cricketers, corporate professionals, and a sizeable crowd of supporters. This edition also marked the rebranding of iServeU’s Heroes League as the Payments Heroes League.
Acknowledgement to the Sponsors
The tournament was backed by the valued support of all the sponsors – IDFC FIRST Bank, Union Bank, NimbusPost, DCB Bank, Livlong, Vi, Morefun, EShop Box, MPurse, Trendit, StoryTeller 101, Lyra, Dyaus Court, and Utkal Hospital
Decathlon stepped up as the Official Gifting Partner, Campa Cola as the Official Hydration Partner, Aao NXT as the Official OTT Platform Partner, and Zenisk as the Associate Sponsor.
Four Teams & the Clash of Champions
This edition featured four competing teams – Gladiators led by Basudev Behera, Nimurai led by Dev Kalyan Sahani, Spartans led by Chinmaya Patra, and Troy led by Soumya Mohanty. Nimurai, the defending champions, entered the tournament as firm favourites. However, it was the Gladiators who raised the the Payments Heroes League Champions Trophy in the end with a commanding margin of 86 runs – the highest winning margin ever recorded in the tournament’s history. The edition also witnessed two Super Overs, with Troy claiming back-to-back victories in both.
Special Women's Cricket Match
The finale day opened with a special women’s cricket match, preceding the men’s final, between two teams of iServeU’s women employees – FINIX, captained by Deepika Dwivedi, and i-TITAN, captained by Prathama Sarangi. FINIX won by four wickets.
Celebrating Excellence On and Off the Field
The league welcomed renowned Ranji Trophy players whose presence raised the level of game throughout the tournament. Their contribution was honoured under the Decathlon PHL Heroes recognition, sponsored by Decathlon.
Dream11 Experience through PHL's Fantasy League
PHL took fan engagement further with a dedicated Fantasy League application, powered by Aao NXT. Participants built their own dream teams, earned points based on live performances, and competed in a format modelled on Dream11. Winners – across both developers and participants – received an exclusive one-year Aao NXT subscription.
Stars of the League - PHL Edition 5 Awards & Recognitions
Natraj Behera claimed the Best Batsman (286 Runs) award for his performances throughout the tournament. Preetam Jeet Das was recognised as the Best Bowler and also earned the Purple Cap as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker ( 9 wickets). The Orange Cap, awarded to the highest run-scorer, went to Susant Sethi.
Dev Kalyan Sahani received the Man of the Series award for his all-round contribution (132 Runs, 8 Wickets), while Ashutosh Das was honoured as Man of the Final (213 Runs, 6 Wickets).
In team honours, Gladiators were crowned Champions, Nimurai acknowledged as Runners-Up, Spartans recognised as the Best Disciplined Team for their conduct and sportsmanship, and Troy celebrated as the Best Entertainment Team – their energy and back-to-back Super Over victories making them the crowd favourites throughout.
Celebrating iServeU's Tech Talent
The PHL finale night also doubled as a recognition evening for the top performers from iServeU’s in-house Frontend Developer Training Program (React JS). The top performers were awarded certificates, medals, and a standout reward: a brand-new TVS Ronin motorcycle for the winner.
Five editions in, the Payments Heroes League has grown into a platform that means something – to the players who compete, the brands that partner, and the industry that shows up. iServeU looks forward to the editions ahead.
