The first game of the day features the Pokhara Avengers taking on the Janakpur Bolts. Pokhara had a nightmare outing in their previous match, crumbling to 7/6 in pursuit of Chitwan’s 161. Narayan Joshi’s gritty 24-ball 30 added some respectability to their innings, helping them reach 74 and salvaging a shred of pride.
In contrast, the Janakpur Bolts have been the standout team of the tournament so far. They’ve won both their matches comfortably while chasing, each by 8 wickets. With momentum on their side, Janakpur will be keen to extend their winning streak. Their top four batters are in excellent form, but their middle order remains untested. If the Avengers manage to break through Janakpur’s top order early, it could set up an intriguing contest.
Pokhara’s batting will be bolstered by the presence of Andries Gous, who adds much-needed experience and stability. Despite their poor showing with the bat in the first match, Pokhara showed depth in their bowling attack, utilizing as many as eight bowlers. This was reflected in their death-over performance, where they conceded just 34 runs in the final five overs—despite Raymon Reifer leaking 15 runs in the last over.
As Pokhara Avengers coach Rajiv Kumar pointed out, they’ll view their previous game as a one-off bad performance and will be eager to bounce back with a strong showing in this encounter.
Probable Playing XI (Pokhara Avengers)
Kushal Bhurtel (C)
Dinesh Kharel
Andries Gous
Dilip Nath (WK)
Bas De Leede
Kiran Thagunna
Michael Leask
Narayan Joshi
Raymon Reifer
Bipin Khatri
Sagar Dhakal
Probable XI (Janakpur Bolts)
Anil Kumar Sah
Aasif Sheikh
Lahiru Milantha
Shubh Kansakar
James Neesham
Harsh Thaker
Muhammad Mohsin
Tul Thapa
Sher Malla
Lalit Rajbanshi
Kishore Mahato
