Baitadi wins Sudurpaschim Provincial Women’s T20 Cricket title

KATHMANDU: Baitadi claimed the title of the Sudurpaschim Provincial Women’s T20 Cricket Selection Tournament by defeating Kanchanpur by six wickets in the final.

At the Dasharath Chand Cricket Ground in Sundarkhali, Kanchanpur, batting first after losing the toss, managed 71 runs in 20 overs, losing all their wickets.

Chasing a target of 72, Baitadi reached the target in 12.2 overs with the loss of four wickets.

For Baitadi, captain Ritu Kanoujiya scored an unbeaten 22, while Janaki Thapa remained not out with 14 runs. On the bowling side, Kanchanpur’s Manju Bista took two wickets.

In Kanchanpur’s innings, Revati Dhami contributed a valuable 41 runs, while other batters failed to reach double digits. For Baitadi, Janaki Thapa took two wickets and was named the Player of the Final. Ritu Kanoujiya was declared the Player of the Tournament.

Kanchanpur’s captain Bindu Rawal was named the Best Batter, Baitadi’s Karishma Thapa the Best Bowler, and Dadeldhura’s Jayanti Bhandari the Emerging Player of the tournament.

The winners and runners-up were awarded prizes by Cricket Association Nepal (CAN) Chair Chatur Bahadur Chand, National Sports Council Director and Olympian Deepak Bista, CAN Central Member Dhirendra Sawad, and Sudurpaschim Provincial Cricket Association Vice-Chair Ramesh Bohara, among others.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, CAN Chair Chand emphasized making cricket an inclusive sport and announced plans to introduce a Women’s Premier League in the future.

Olympian Bista praised CAN’s leadership for its significant contributions to Nepal’s cricket development, highlighting the sport’s role in promoting Nepal globally.

The tournament, organized by the Sudurpaschim Provincial Cricket Association and co-hosted by the Baitadi District Cricket Association, featured teams from seven districts of the province and began on Jan 3.