Chitwan Rhinos secured their third victory in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) by defeating a strong Sudurpaschim Royals team.
In the match held at TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Sunday, Chitwan defeated Sudurpaschim by 33 runs. This was Chitwan’s third win in four matches, while Sudurpaschim suffered their first loss in four games.
Chasing a target of 165 runs, Sudurpaschim were bowled out for 131 runs in 20 overs. Ishan Pandey top-scored for Sudurpaschim with 35 runs. Saif Zaib contributed 18, Scott Kuggeleijn 16, Brandon McMullen 13, Dilpreet Bajwa 12, and both Binod Bhandari and Naren Saud chipped in with 10 runs each.
For Chitwan, Kushal Malla, Jan Nicol, Amar Routela, and Rijan Dhakal took two wickets each, while Ranjit Kumar and Sohail Tanvir grabbed one wicket apiece.
Earlier, Chitwan batted first after winning the toss and scored 164 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs. Opener Hassan Eisakhil played a half-century innings, scoring 65 runs off 52 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Ravi Bopara scored 36, Bipin Rawal 17, and captain Kushal Malla added 13 runs.
For Sudurpaschim, Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets, while Brandon McMullen, Saif Zaib, and captain Dipendra Singh Airee claimed one wicket each.
Despite the loss, Sudurpaschim remains in second place with six points, while Chitwan, also with six points, is in third place. Janakpur, the undefeated team at the top of the table, leads with eight points.
