KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 2

Chitwan Rhinos secured a commanding five-wicket victory over Kathmandu Gorkhas in the Nepal Premier League match held at the TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Monday.

After winning the toss, the Rhinos elected to field first and successfully restricted the Gorkhas to a modest total of 111/9 in their allotted 20 overs.

Pakistan seamer Sohail Tanvir, named Player of the Match, delivered a historic performance with a five-wicket haul - the first in the Nepal Premier League's history. Tanvir dismantled the Gorkhas' batting lineup and secured two vital points for his team.

Tanvir provided an early breakthrough by dismissing Stephen Eskinazi, caught off Routela in the second over. He further strengthened his team's position by removing the dangerous Michael Levitt in the fourth over.

The Gorkhas struggled to build partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals and failing to post a competitive total. Sumit Maharjan top-scored for the Gorkhas with 29 runs off 41 balls, including a boundary. Rijan Dhakal, Kushal Malla, Amar Routela, and Luc Benkenstein contributed with one wicket each.

In response, the Rhinos started aggressively. Hassan Eisakhil hit a boundary and a massive six, taking the score to 18/1 in the second over before being stumped off Shahab Alam.

Luc Benkenstein played a brisk knock of 22 off 17 balls, including two sixes and a boundary, before being trapped lbw by Erasmus in the 7th over, leaving the Rhinos at 54/3.

Captain Kushal Malla and seasoned campaigner Ravi Bopara added 11 runs each but were dismissed in quick succession by the 9th over, with the team still requiring 43 runs for victory.

Santosh Karki and veteran Sharad Vesawkar then steadied the innings with an unbeaten 44-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Karki top-scored with 28 not out off 31 balls, hitting two fours and a six, guiding the Rhinos to victory with 17 balls to spare.

In the post-match presentation, Player of the Match Sohail Tanvir said, 'Yesterday's practice session helped me adapt to the conditions. I realized the surface was slow, so I adjusted my line and length accordingly. It's an honor to play in front of such an amazing crowd, and I hope to contribute further to the growth of Nepal cricket.'

Winning captain Kushal Malla expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, saying, 'I'm happy with the team's strong start to the tournament.'

The next game will feature Janakpur Bolts against Karnali Yaks at 1 pm at the TU ground this afternoon.