Kathmandu Gorkhas has made a flying start by clinching a five-wicket win over defending champions Janakpur Bolts in the opening match of the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) held in Kirtipur.
Chasing the 131-run target set by Janakpur, Kathmandu reached it in 18 overs losing five wickets.
Ben Charlesworth topped the score with 46 runs including 5 fours and 3 sixes off 23 deliveries. Similarly, Aakash Tripathi scored 39 runs while Milind Kumar and John Simpson contributed 19 and 13 runs, respectively. The other batsmen could not reach double digit runs.
On the bowling side, Kishore Mahato, Anil Sah, Lalit Rajbanshi, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and Sanjay Krishnamurthi grabbed 1 wicket each.
Earlier, invited to bat first after losing the toss at the TU International Cricket Ground on Monday, Janakpur notched up 130 runs losing six wicket in the allotted 20 overs.
Aasif Sheikh scored a half century. Sheikh hit 6 fours and 1 six off 41 deliveries. Mayan Yadav scored 34 runs including 2 fours and 1 six off 29 deliveries while Lahiru Samarakoon contributed 22 runs. The other batsmen could not score significant runs.
In reply, Milind Kumar took the highest 3 wickets conceding 15 runs in 4 overs while Karan KC, Shahab Alam and Santosh Yadav grabbed 1 wicket each for Kathmandu.
Two matches will be held on Tuesday. Chitwan Rhinos will take on Karnali Yaks at 11:45 am in the first match and Biratnagar Kings and Pokhara Avengers will lock their horns in the second match at 4 pm.
The NPL kicked off at 4 pm amidst a ceremony after Prime Minister Sushila Karki officially inaugurated the tournament.In the first edition of the NPL, Janakpur had defeated Kathmandu.
Shivnarine Chaderpaul, West Indies cricket legend, is the head coach for Janakpur Bolts in the second edition. Likewise, Monti Desai of India is the main coach for Kathmandu Gorkhas.
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