Karnali Yaks secured their place in the second qualifier of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) by defeating Chitwan Rhinos by 21 runs on Wednesday at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
Chasing a challenging target of 176 runs, Chitwan could only manage 154 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs, resulting in their exit from the NPL. Karnali will now face the losing team of the first qualifier on Thursday for a spot in the final. The first qualifier, set to be played later today, will feature league leaders Sudurpaschim Royals and second-placed Janakpur Bolts.
For Chitwan, Ravi Bopara top-scored with 53 runs, followed by captain Kushal Malla with 21 runs, Bipin Rawal with 18, Luke Benkenstein with 16, and Sharad Vesawkar with 10. However, the remaining batters failed to contribute significantly.
In the bowling department, Karnali’s Zeeshan Maqsood took 3 wickets, conceding 26 runs in his 4-over spell. Captain Sompal Kami and Nandan Yadav bagged 2 wickets each, while Bipin Sharma claimed one.
Earlier, after losing the toss, Karnali Yaks posted a competitive total of 175 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their 20 overs.
Opener Jaykishan Kolsawala and William Bosisto led Karnali’s innings with half-centuries, scoring 53 and 52 runs, respectively. Notably, Kolsawala replaced Babar Hayat in the playing XI of Karnali Yaks and made a significant impact with his knock. Chadwick Walton added an unbeaten 46 runs, while Zeeshan Maqsood chipped in with 14.
For Chitwan, Sohail Tanvir picked up 2 wickets, while Sharad Vesawkar, Ravi Bopara, and Kushal Malla each took 1 wicket.
In the league stage, both Karnali and Chitwan secured 8 points from 4 wins and 3 losses in their 7 matches. However, Karnali advanced to the playoffs based on a better net run rate.
Notably, Karnali had defeated Chitwan by 6 wickets in their league-stage encounter.
