KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts emerged victorious in the inaugural match of the Nepal Premier League, defeating Biratnagar Kings by eight wickets at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Biratnagar Kings were invited to bat first after losing the toss and managed to score 127 runs in 19 overs, losing all of their wickets. Janakpur Bolts successfully chased the target of 128 runs in just 15.3 overs, with the loss of only two wickets. Lahiru Milantha was the standout performer for Janakpur, scoring 75 runs off 53 balls, while Harsh Thaker contributed an unbeaten 29 runs. Captain Anil Kumar Sah added five runs to the total, and Aasif Sheikh was dismissed without scoring.
In the bowling department for Janakpur Bolts, Chris Sole and Pratish GC took one wicket each, and they benefited from 22 extra runs conceded by the Biratnagar Kings. Lalit Rajbanshi claimed three wickets, and Kishore Mahato and Harsh Thaker took two wickets each. Muhammad Mohsin and Ben Mike each secured one wi
cket.
Earlier, for Biratnagar Kings, Martin Guptill of New Zealand was the top scorer with 55 runs off 43 balls. Aqib Ilyas added 15 runs, while Nicholas Kirton managed nine runs. Other contributions included Lokesh Bam’s five runs, and Basir Ahamad, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Anil Kharel each scoring seven runs. Chris Sole, Pratish GC, and Rajesh Pulami Magar added four, two, and one run respectively.
This opening match set the stage for an exciting season of the Nepal Premier League, with Janakpur Bolts taking an early lead in the tournament.