KATHMANDU: Karnali Yaks secured a thrilling victory over Biratnagar Kings in the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), chasing down a target of 187 runs with just one ball to spare.
Karnali captain Sompal Kami led the chase with an unbeaten 62 off 32 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes. He shared an unbroken 64-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Gulshan Jha, who remained unbeaten on 28 off 21 balls.
Karnali needed eight runs in the final over to win. Sompal took a single off the first delivery, while Gulshan collected two runs off the second and another single off the third. Biratnagar’s Lokesh Bam then dropped Gulshan’s catch, giving Karnali a crucial reprieve. Sompal followed with two runs off each of the next two deliveries to seal the victory.
Earlier, Sompal and Pawan Saraf revived Karnali’s innings with a 66-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Pawan scored 36 off 28 balls before being dismissed. Karnali had struggled early in the chase, losing its first five wickets cheaply. Mark Watt scored one, Deepak Dumre made 20, Akbar Ali managed one, Ariful Islam contributed 32, and Hussain Talat was dismissed without scoring. Sompal and Pawan then steadied the innings.
Angelo Mathews was Biratnagar’s most successful bowler, taking three wickets. Charith Asalanka, Pratish GC and captain Sandeep Lamichhane claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, Biratnagar, put in to bat after losing the toss at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, posted 186 for seven in 20 overs.
Opener Lokesh Bam starred with 87 off 52 balls, including three fours and nine sixes. He shared a 67-run partnership with Mathews for the fourth wicket. However, Bam’s innings ended on the fifth ball of the 16th over when Karnali captain Sompal dismissed him, leaving him 13 runs short of becoming the first Nepali player to score a century in the NPL.
Mathews contributed 31 off 22 balls, while Andre Russell scored 27 off 15 deliveries. Imran Sheikh made five, Asalanka scored three, and Shehan Jayasuriya was dismissed for 11. Bashir Ahmed added 13 before being dismissed, while Sujan Thapaliya remained unbeaten.
Sompal was the standout bowler for Karnali, taking four wickets for 33 runs in his four overs. He dismissed Bam, Russell, Mathews and Asalanka. Mark Watt and Nandan Yadav claimed one wicket apiece, with Watt dismissing opener Imran and Yadav bowling Bashir on the final delivery of the innings. No NPL matches were scheduled for Friday.
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