Chitwan Rhinos Boost Playoff Chances as Janakpur and Karnali Exit NPL

Chitwan Rhinos bolstered their chances of reaching the playoff stage of the third edition of the Nepal Premier League following a four-wicket win against Janakpur Bolts. Played at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, the low-scoring contest saw Janakpur choose to bat first after winning the toss. However, Janakpur struggled to establish momentum throughout their innings, losing opener Tritaraj Das for five runs in the second over and continuing to lose wickets at regular intervals. Janakpur managed to post a total of 88 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their allocated 20 overs. Captain Harmeet Singh top-scored for the side with 25 runs, while Bishal Sushling contributed 15 runs. Openers Santosh Karki and Rahul Yadav each chipped in with 10 runs, the latter remaining unbeaten after striking a six on the final delivery of the innings. Chitwan's spinners Sikandar Raza and Ranjit Kumar spearheaded a disciplined bowling attack, with Ranjit taking three wickets for two runs in three overs, which included a maiden over. Chasing a target of 89 runs, Chitwan successfully reached 92 runs for six wickets in 17.2 overs. Dawid Malan led the scoring effort for Chitwan with a match-high 35 runs. The successful run chase was completed with 15 runs from the left-handed batsman, 13 runs from Ravi Bopara, and 12 runs added by Kamil Mishara. For Janakpur, Rahul Yadav proved to be the most effective bowler, claiming three wickets, while Lalit Rajbanshi took two wickets and Bishal Sushling picked up one. The defeat marked the end of the tournament campaign for both Janakpur Bolts and Karnali, eliminating them from the league stage. Janakpur finished their full schedule of seven league matches having accumulated only four points from two victories.