Janakpur Bolts Wins Inaugural Nepal Premier League T20 Title

epardafas

21st Dec 2024

Janakpur Bolts triumphed in the first-ever Nepal Premier League (NPL) T20 Cricket Tournament, clinching the title with a thrilling five-wicket victory over Sudurpaschim Royals in the final held at TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Thursday.

Chasing a target of 185 runs set by Sudurpaschim Royals, Janakpur Bolts sealed the win in 19.2 overs, losing five wickets along the way.

Opening batsmen Lahiru Milantha and Aasif Sheikh laid a solid foundation with a 73-run partnership. Milantha delivered a stellar performance, scoring 87 runs off 49 balls, including nine fours and four sixes. Aasif Sheikh contributed a quick 33 off 19 balls with four fours and two sixes. Supporting efforts came from Harsh Thaker (30 runs off 24 balls) and Mohammad Mohsin (9 runs).

Sudurpaschim Royals’ bowlers—Saif Zaib, Ishan Pandey, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Scott Kuggeleijn—secured one wicket each but couldn’t stop Janakpur from clinching the title.

Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat, Sudurpaschim Royals posted 184 runs in 20 overs, losing nine wickets. Openers Saif Zaib and Binod Bhandari led the charge with an impressive 117-run partnership. Zaib smashed 69 runs off 43 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes, while Bhandari added 41 runs off 31 balls, including three sixes and one four. Brandon McMullen and Harmeet Singh chipped in with 14 runs each.

Janakpur’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Kishore Mahato and Mohammad Mohsin, each taking three wickets. James Neesham and Lalit Rajbanshi contributed with a wicket apiece.

The winning team, Janakpur Bolts, received NPR 11 million and the championship trophy, while runner-up Sudurpaschim Royals earned NPR 5.1 million. The third-place team will be awarded NPR 2.5 million, and the fourth-place team will receive NPR 1.5 million, according to the Cricket Association of Nepal.

This historic season marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Nepali cricket, setting the stage for future domestic and international cricketing milestones.