The second-last match of the inaugural Nepal Premier League will see Karnali Yaks take on Janakpur Bolts in the second qualifier, with both teams eyeing a spot in the final against Sudurpaschim Royals on Saturday.
Karnali Yaks started their Nepal Premier League campaign with an eight-wicket defeat against Janakpur Bolts. Janakpur will be without their captain, Anil Sah, who was the player of the match in the league-stage encounter against Karnali, scoring an unbeaten 62 runs off 42 deliveries.
Karnali secured their place in the second qualifier after a 21-run win over Chitwan Rhinos in the eliminator. Despite struggling with their batting lineup during the league stage, Karnali showed a brilliant batting display in the eliminator on Wednesday. The late inclusion of JayakisanKolsawala boosted their top-order batting, with Kolsawala scoring fifty in his first match for Karnali.
One of the concerns for Karnali Yaks will be Kolsawala’s opening partner, Rit Gautam, who is yet to open his account in the last two matches and may be replaced by Dev Khanal at the top.
Another issue for Karnali is the performance of their Nepali batters. The win over Chitwan in the eliminator came after excellent performances from three overseas players: Kolsawala at the top, William Bosisto in the middle order, and Chadwick Walton at the bottom with a quickfire knock. The Nepali batters had minimal contributions and will need to step up against Janakpur Bolts in the qualifiers.
Sompal Kami mentioned after the Chitwan match that the real tournament had now begun for Karnali, with two final matches remaining. He believes others will step up as match-winners in the upcoming matches.
For Janakpur Bolts, with Anil Sah injured, Aakash Tripathi was brought into the side in the first qualifier against Sudurpaschim. Aakash, typically an opener, was sent down to number eight, while Arniko Yadav was sent ahead of Jimmy Neesham. Arniko, playing as a bowler, was not even used in the match against Sudurpaschim.
These tactical errors cost Janakpur a spot in the final, as they lost to Sudurpaschim in the first qualifier, and have now suffered two defeats in a row, the previous one coming against Chitwan Rhinos in their last group-stage clash.
Janakpur Bolts’ bowling has also been a concern in recent matches. Apart from Lalit Rajbanshi, the other bowlers have failed to make an impact. Young medium pacer Hemant Dhami might get a chance in the match against Karnali, providing support to Kishore Mahato, who is leading the pace bowling lineup alongside Jimmy Neesham.
Karnali Yaks Probable Playing XI: JayakisanKolsawala, Dev Khanal, William Bosisto, Zeeshan Maqsood, Chadwick Walton, Gulshan Jha, Arjun Gharti, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Unish Thakuri, Bipin Sharma
Janakpur Bolts Probable Playing XI: Asif Sheikh, Lahiru Milantha, Subh Kansakar, Harsh Thaker, Mayan Yadav, Jimmy Neesham, Mohammad Moshin, Sher Malla, Hemant Dhami, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kishore Mahato
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.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.