Kathmandu, Nov 17: Defending champions Janakpur Bolts was defeated by Kathmandu Gorkhas in the inaugural match of the Nepal Premier League 2025, a franchise-based Twenty20 cricket tournament, that began in Kirtipur earlier today.
The Kathmandu Gorkhas surpassed the victory target of 131 set by Janakpur with two overs to spare. Openers Aakash Tripathi and Ben Charlesworth set the foundation for the win, with a partnership of 70 runs for the first wicket. Tripathi scored 39 runs in 45 balls while Charlesworth scored 46 runs in just 23 balls. Milind Kumar and John Simpson scored 19 and 13 runs respectively, before Mohammad Aadil Alam hit the winning runs after hitting a six of the penultimate ball of the 18th over.
For the bowling side, Kishore Mahato, Anil Shah, Lalit Ranjbansi, Jan Nicol and Sanjay Krishnamurthi took 1 wicket each in their failed attempt to defend a par score.
Earlier, put into bat after losing the toss, Janakpur had put up a par score, thanks only to a half century (54 in 41 balls) by Aasif Sheikh. Mayan Yadav (24 not out) and Lahiru Samarakoon (22) were the only two other batters who scored in double figures.
For Kathmandu, Milind Kumar took 3 wickets giving away only 15 runs in his full quota of 4 overs. Karan KC, Shahab Alam and Santosh Yadav took 1 wicket each.
The match was played at the TU International Cricket Ground under floodlights, a first of its kind for a cricket match in the country.
The NPL 2025 features eight teams competing in 32 matches until the final scheduled to be held on coming December 13. Other teams in the fray are Biratnagar Kings, Chitwan Rhinos, Karnali Yaks, Lumbini Lions, Pokhara Avengers and Sudur Paschim Royals.
