Kathmandu Gurkhas and Biratnagar Kings secured their first victories in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) today.
Match 1: Kathmandu Gurkhas vs Karnali Yaks
In the first match, Kathmandu Gurkhas defeated Karnali Yaks by 3 wickets. Chasing a target of 150, Kathmandu reached 153/7 with three balls to spare.
Sumit Maharjan played a match-winning knock of 40* off 37 balls, hitting three fours and a six. He was named Player of the Match. Gerhard Erasmus scored 38, Karan KC contributed 29, and Michael Levitt added 22 runs to the chase.
Earlier, Karnali, batting first, posted 149/5 in 20 overs. Indian batter Shikhar Dhawan starred with a brilliant 72 off 51 balls, including 4 fours and 5 sixes. For Kathmandu, Gerhard Erasmus took 2 wickets, while Karan KC, Nathan Sowter, and Dipesh Kandel each claimed one.
Match 2: Biratnagar Kings vs Lumbini Lions
In the second match, Biratnagar Kings edged out Lumbini Lions by 2 wickets in a last-over thriller.
Chasing a challenging target of 192, Biratnagar achieved the win with just one ball remaining, finishing at 193/8. The Kings needed 16 runs in the final over, where Chris Sole turned the game around. Sole smashed a six on the third ball, followed by two consecutive fours, finishing unbeaten on 14 runs off 4 balls. Dipak Bohara remained unbeaten on 9 runs.
Biratnagar’s chase was powered by opener Lokesh Bam, who top-scored with 71 runs off 47 balls, including 3 fours and 6 sixes. Basir Ahamad contributed a quick 40 off 23 balls, while Martin Guptill smashed 28 runs off 17 balls. Lokesh shared crucial partnerships, including a 62-run stand with Guptill for the second wicket and an 87-run stand with Basir for the fifth wicket, which laid the foundation for the win.
For Lumbini, Durgesh Gupta bowled brilliantly, taking 3 wickets for 21 runs in 4 overs. Saad Bin Zafar and Ramon Simmonds picked up 2 wickets each, while Bibek Yadav had a costly outing, conceding 64 runs in 3.5 overs despite taking 1 wicket.
Earlier, Lumbini set a competitive total of 191/7 in 20 overs, the highest score of the tournament so far. Captain Rohit Paudel top-scored with 46 off 29 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes. Tom Moores contributed 30 runs off 17 balls, hitting a four and three sixes. The pair added 67 runs for the third wicket. Bibek Yadav added an explosive 19* off 7 balls, smashing three sixes.
Biratnagar’s bowling was led by captain Sandeep Lamichhane, Rajesh Pulami Magar, and Ismat Alam, each taking one wicket. Lumbini lost four players to runouts, disrupting their innings momentum.
This thrilling win marked Biratnagar’s first success in the tournament after two consecutive losses, while Lumbini faced defeat in their debut match.
