Chitwan Rhinos will be the only winning team taking the field on Friday. They will face a winless Karnali Yaks in the opening match at 9 AM NPT. Lumbini Lions will then take on Pokhara Avengers at 1 PM NPT. Both games will be played at the TU International Cricket Ground.
Chitwan Rhinos entered the match with the best pace attack in the competition, spearheaded by Sohail Tanveer, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, who had eight wickets from two matches. Tanveer, alongside Rijan Dhakal, will look to exploit the early conditions and challenge the Karnali Yaks. Chitwan will likely choose to bowl first if they win the toss.
Ranjit Kumar could replace Bipin Rawal in Chitwan’s playing XI, while Karnali Yaks might bring in young Rit Gautam.
Chitwan Rhinos Probable XI:
Hassan Eisakhil, Deepak Bohara, Luc Benkenstein, Kushal Malla, Ravi Bopara, Santosh Karki, Sharad Vesawkar, Sohail Tanveer, Amar Singh Routela, Rijan Dhakal, Ranjeet Kumar
Karnali Yaks Probable XI:
Dev Khanal, Shikhar Dhawan, Chadwick Walton, Rit Gautam, Babar Hayat, Gulshan Jha, Arjun Gharti, Zeeshan Maqsood, Bipin Sharma, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav
Lumbini Lions showed promise with the bat against Biratnagar Kings despite four run-outs due to miscommunication. However, tactical errors and poor bowling in the final overs cost them the game. They will now take on Pokhara Avengers, who are desperate for a win after two consecutive losses, one to Chitwan Rhinos and another to Kathmandu Gurkhas.
Pokhara’s captain, Kushal Bhurtel, will need to lead from the front with the bat, as their batting has underperformed in the past two matches. The Avengers bowling department has seen numerous changes, with eight bowlers used against the Janakpur Bolts on Thursday. A standout performance is crucial for their first win.
Bas de Leede’s injury is a major blow for Pokhara, and he is expected to miss Friday’s match as well. Both teams are likely to field the same playing elevens as in their previous matches.
Lumbini Lions Probable XI:
Ashutosh Ghiraiya, Arjun Saud, Rohit Paudel, Tom Moores, Ben Cutting, Sundeep Jora, Bibek Yadav, Saad Bin Zafar, Ramon Simmonds, Durgesh Gupta, Surya Tamang
Pokhara Avengers Probable XI:
Dinesh Kharel, Andries Gous, Kushal Bhurtel, Dilip Nath, Raymon Reifer, Michael Leask, Narayan Joshi, Bipin Khatri, Akash Chand
Where To Watch:
Fans can follow all the action live on Star Sports globally, Fancode in India, Dish Home Go OTT in Nepal, and Action Sports’ YouTube channel in Nepal.
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