KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 17
Defending champions Janakpur Bolts were defeated by the Kathmandu Gorkhas in the inaugural match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025, a franchise-based Twenty20 cricket tournament that kicked off in Kirtipur earlier today.
Chasing a target of 131, Kathmandu cruised to victory with two overs to spare. Openers Aakash Tripathi and Ben Charlesworth laid a solid foundation with a 70-run stand for the first wicket. Tripathi scored 39 off 45 balls, while Charlesworth smashed a quickfire 46 from just 23 deliveries. Milind Kumar and John Simpson added 19 and 13 runs, respectively, before Mohammad Aadil Alam sealed the win with a six off the penultimate ball of the 18th over.
On the bowling front for Janakpur, Kishore Mahato, Anil Shah, Lalit Rajbanshi, Jan Nicol, and Sanjay Krishnamurthi claimed one wicket each, but their collective effort fell short in defending what proved to be a par total.
Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Janakpur managed to post a competitive score largely due to a well-constructed half-century by Aasif Sheikh, who scored 54 off 41 balls. Mayan Yadav (24 not out) and Lahiru Samarakoon (22) were the only other batters to reach double figures.
For Kathmandu, Milind Kumar starred with the ball, taking 3 wickets for just 15 runs in his full quota of four overs. Karan KC, Shahab Alam, and Santosh Yadav chipped in with a wicket apiece.
The match was held under floodlights at the TU International Cricket Ground, marking the first-ever night game in Nepal's cricketing history.
The NPL 2025 features eight teams competing across 32 matches leading up to the final scheduled for December 13. The other teams in contention are Biratnagar Kings, Chitwan Rhinos, Karnali Yaks, Lumbini Lions, Pokhara Avengers, and Sudurpaschim Royals.
