Janakpur Bolts thrash Biratnagar Kings by 8 wickets in NPL opener
The team's performance was marked by strong strategy and execution, dominating their opponents.
KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts made a strong start to the Nepal Premier League (NPL) with a commanding 8-wicket victory over Biratnagar Kings in the opening match on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 128 runs set by Biratnagar, Janakpur reached the target in 15.3 overs, losing just 2 wickets.
Lahiru Milantha played a stellar knock of 75 runs off 53 balls, hitting 9 boundaries and 3 sixes. Milantha, who came in at number 3, reached his half-century in just 39 balls.
He formed an unbroken 116-run partnership with Harsh Thakar for the third wicket. Thakar contributed 29 runs from 33 balls, including 2 fours.
Earlier, Janakpur lost their openers in the first two overs, with Asif Sheikh being bowled out for a duck by Chris Sol in the opening over, while captain Anil Shah was dismissed in the second over for 5 runs off 4 balls.
For Biratnagar, Chris Sol and Pratis Jishi took one wicket each.
Biratnagar, after losing the toss and being asked to bat, were restricted to 127 runs in their 19 overs. Opener Martin Guptill was the standout performer, scoring the first-ever half-century in NPL history.
He made 55 runs off 43 balls, including 7 fours and 1 six, before being caught by Anil Shah off Harsh Thakar’s bowling.
Aqib Ilyas contributed 15 runs from 18 balls, but Biratnagar’s batting faltered as they lost 8 wickets while trying to accelerate. No other batter managed to score in double figures.
Janakpur’s Lalit Narayan Rajwansi was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets, including a key wicket on his first ball in the NPL. Kishore Mahato and Harsh Thakar took 2 wickets each, while Ben Mike and Mohammad Mohsin claimed 1 wicket each.
There will be no games on Sunday due to by-elections.
The NPL will resume on Monday with two matches scheduled.
