Janakpur Bolts defeat Pokhara Avengers by 9 runs in NPL match

Janakpur Bolts secured a nine-run victory over Pokhara Avengers in the Nepal Premier League on Sunday. The match was played at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Janakpur lost the toss and were asked to bat first, setting a target of 148 runs for their opponents. They managed to post 147 runs on the scoreboard in their allocated 20 overs, with Trit Raj Das hitting a half-century and contributing 61 runs to lead the team's batting effort. During the second innings, Pokhara Avengers struggled to chase down the 148-run target and ended their 20 overs on 138 runs for the loss of nine wickets. Dinesh Kharel managed three runs, while Mahedi Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, and Arjun Gharti were dismissed for eight, nine, and seven runs respectively. Kiran Thagunna added 15 runs, Bipin Acharya made 20, Chamika Karunaratne was out for four, and Mohammad Saifuddin failed to score. Janakpur's bowling attack successfully defended the total. Moeen Ali delivered an effective spell, conceded 13 runs, bowled one maiden, and took three wickets. Saif Hassan and Harmeet Singh chipped in with two wickets each, while Lalit Rajbanshi and Jimmy Neesham claimed one wicket apiece during the match. For Pokhara, Shakib Al Hasan also made a notable contribution with the ball earlier in the innings, conceding 15 runs in four overs to take three wickets. This outcome marks the second straight win for Janakpur Bolts in the tournament, giving them four points after previously defeating Kathmandu Gurkhas by eight wickets. Conversely, Pokhara Avengers suffered their second consecutive defeat, having previously lost to Sudurpashchim in the competition. The ongoing matches featured teams including a local franchise in the scheduled fixtures.