Tomorrow’s first game in yet another doubleheader is a clash of the table-toppers. Chitwan Rhinos missed a golden opportunity to secure a win against the bottom-placed Lumbini Lions despite taking two early wickets. Their hopes were dashed by Rohit Paudel’s brilliant all-round performance, as he contributed a crucial half-century and bagged four wickets.
Meanwhile, the Royals suffered their first defeat of the tournament at the hands of the Rhinos. Notably, their skipper Dipendra Singh Airee, who has been instrumental throughout the tournament, failed to make an impact for the first time. Binod Bhandari couldn’t capitalize on his promising start, while Ishan Pandey chipped in with a handy 35 – his most significant contribution since scoring 21 off 16 in the tournament opener. Pacer Abinash Bohara, who claimed six wickets in a single game earlier, went wicketless this time. The Royals will be hoping this was just a one-off performance.
Janakpur Bolts, on the other hand, remain unbeaten with a perfect record of four wins from four games. Their latest victory was a nail-biting one-run win over the Lumbini Lions. After a solid start at 95/1, their top order collapsed dramatically to 110/7 following Anil Sah’s dismissal for 45 by part-timer Sundeep Jora, who bowled in franchise cricket for the first time in almost six years. While this collapse exposed their middle order, it was perhaps a blessing in disguise as they managed to scrape through, showing their depth.
Shubh Kansakar, who hadn’t batted, bowled, or taken a catch in the first three games, stepped up with a valuable 22 off 24. Harsh Thaker made history by taking the first-ever five-wicket haul of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). Meanwhile, Asif Sheikh, despite looking in good touch, is yet to register a fifty in this tournament. His scores so far read 0, 36, 33, and 16. As the tournament reaches its business end, Janakpur Bolts will be eager for Sheikh to produce a defining knock.
Probable XI (Janakpur Bolts)
Anil Kumar Sah
Aasif Sheikh
Lahiru Milantha
Shubh Kansakar
James Neesham
Harsh Thaker
Muhammad Mohsin
Tul Thapa/Sher Malla
Hemant Dhami
Lalit Rajbanshi
Kishore Mahato
Probable Playing XI of Sudurpaschim Royals
Binod Bhandari (WK)
Saif Zaib
Brandon McMullen
Dipendra Singh Airee (c)
Ishan Pandey
Dilpreet Bajwa
Md Aarif Sheikh
Naresh Budayair /Basant Khatri
Abinash Bohara
Scott Kuggeleijn
Naren Saud
