In the Arjun Trophy National Cricket Tournament held in Dhangadhi, the Friends Youth Club of Dadeldhura has advanced to the final, thanks to an outstanding all-round performance by national team member Kushal Bhurtel. In the first semifinal at the Fapla International Cricket Ground, Dadeldhura secured a five-wicket victory over New Horizon Butwal.
Winning the toss, Butwal elected to bat first but was bowled out for 82 runs in 16.1 overs. Arif Khan was the top scorer for Butwal with 20 runs, while Deepak Dumre and Nischal Gyawali contributed 18 and 14 runs respectively. Notably, three of Butwal’s batsmen were dismissed without scoring.
Kushal Bhurtel was instrumental in dismantling Butwal’s batting lineup, claiming five wickets for 19 runs in 3.1 overs. He became the third player in the tournament to achieve a five-wicket haul. Ajay Chauhan also made a significant contribution by taking three wickets, while Hemant Dhami and Ashok Dhami took one wicket each.
Chasing a modest target of 83 runs, Dadeldhura reached the goal in 15 overs, losing five wickets in the process. Opening batsman Kushal Bhurtel led the charge with a brisk 46 runs off 25 balls, including two sixes and six fours. He shared a 56-run opening partnership with Ayushman Bam, who added 16 runs.
Despite Prince Pal’s effort of taking three wickets for Butwal, it wasn’t enough to secure a win for his team. For his exceptional performance with both bat and ball, Kushal Bhurtel was named the Player of the Match and received a cash prize of NPR 10,000 along with a trophy.
The second semifinal is scheduled for tomorrow, where Group B winners CYC Attariya will face Group A runners-up DCA Dhangadhi for a place in the final. The tournament, organized by Go Dreamers and included in the annual calendar of the Cricket Association of Nepal, offers a cash prize of NPR 1 million to the winners and NPR 500,000 to the runners-up, along with trophies. The best player of the tournament will receive NPR 100,000, while the best batsman, best bowler, and emerging player will each be awarded NPR 50,000. Additionally, the Player of the Match in each game will receive NPR 10,000.
