Sudurpaschim Royals secured a six-wicket victory over Karnali Yaks on Monday at the TU International Cricket Ground, concluding the league stage of the inaugural Nepal Premier League. The win ensured Sudurpaschim finished as table-toppers with six victories from seven matches, while Karnali Yaks claimed the fourth and final playoff spot with four wins and three defeats.
Karnali Yaks, needing a win by at least 12 runs to secure a top-two finish, fell short. Meanwhile, Kathmandu’s hopes of playoff qualification were dashed as Sudurpaschim failed to chase the target within 12.3 overs, which would have favoured them.
Karnali’s Struggles with the Bat
Opting to bat first, Karnali Yaks managed a modest total of 101 runs in their allotted 20 overs. The morning conditions offered significant assistance to the spinners, with six of Karnali’s wickets falling to spin.
Rit Gautam, making his debut coming into the side and opening alongside Babar Hayat, was dismissed for a duck in the first over by Harmeet Singh. Hayat followed in the next over, bowled by Scott Kuggeleijn, the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 15 scalps from seven matches.
At 35/3 after the powerplay, Karnali’s innings faltered further due to sharp fielding from Sudurpaschim captain Dipendra Singh Airee, who executed two brilliant run-outs to dismiss Dev Khanal (7) and Gulshan Jha (2). Zeeshan Maqsood was the standout batter, scoring 30 runs off 35 balls, including four boundaries, helping Karnali barely reach triple digits.
Harmeet Singh starred with the ball for Sudurpaschim, claiming 3/17 in his four-over spell. Dipendra Singh Airee and Scott Kuggeleijn chipped in with two wickets each, while Saif Zaib took one.
Royals Steady Chase
Chasing 102, Sudurpaschim’s innings began shakily, losing their top three batters within the powerplay. Saif Zaib (11), Binod Bhandari (4), and Brendon McMullen (3) departed early, leaving the Royals struggling at 30/3 after six overs.
However, a match-winning 67-run partnership between Dipendra Singh Airee and Ishan Pandey steadied the ship. Airee smashed 38 runs off 29 balls, including four boundaries and a six, earning him the Player of the Match award for his all-round contributions. Pandey played a composed knock, remaining unbeaten on 38 runs off 36 deliveries with four boundaries, guiding the Royals to victory in 15.2 overs.
For Karnali, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, and Bipin Sharma each claimed a wicket but failed to defend the low total.
Playoff Fixtures
With the league stage concluded, Sudurpaschim Royals will face Janakpur Bolts in the first qualifier, while Karnali Yaks will take on Chitwan Rhinos in the eliminator. Both matches are set for Wednesday.
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