Sompal leads Karnali to thrilling NPL win over Biratnagar

Karnali Yaks secured a four-wicket victory over Biratnagar Kings during the third edition of the tournament. The match took place at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, where Karnali successfully chased down the target on the final delivery of the innings after losing six wickets. Sent in to bat first after losing the toss, Biratnagar completed their twenty overs with seven wickets down, setting a target of 187 runs. Opening batter Lokesh Bam delivered a strong performance, scoring 87 runs from 52 balls, which included three fours and nine sixes. He missed out on becoming the first player from the country to score a century in the competition by 13 runs when he was dismissed by Karnali captain Sompal Kami during the sixteenth over. Sompal led his team with both bat and ball. During the bowling innings, he claimed four wickets while conceding 33 runs across four overs. When Karnali faced trouble at 57 runs for the loss of five wickets, the captain stepped in. He remained not out on 62 runs from 32 deliveries, sharing an unbroken partnership with Gulshan Jha to guide the side across the finish line. Following the conclusion of the game, opposing captain Sandeep praised the match-winning innings played by Sompal under pressure. Following this outcome, Karnali preserved their winning streak after earlier beating Janakpur Bolts by 19 runs in their first match, whereas Biratnagar suffered their second straight loss subsequent to a prior defeat against another opponent.