- Karnali Yaks secured a 19-run victory over Janakpur Bolts, successfully defending 132 runs in their Nepal Premier League debut.
- Ariful Islam top-scored for Karnali with 43 runs, stabilizing the innings alongside Pawan Sarraf after an early batting collapse.
- Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri and Hussain Talat led the bowling attack, taking three wickets each to dismiss Janakpur for 113.
- Despite Harmeet’s three wickets and 19 runs, Janakpur's batting lineup failed to build partnerships, resulting in a late-game collapse.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Karnali Yaks pulled off a gritty defense on Tuesday, launching their Nepal Premier League campaign with a 19-run win over the Janakpur Bolts at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground.
Defending a target of 133, Karnali's bowling attack turned the game around in Kirtipur, bundling out the favorites for 113 in 19.3 overs. The match unraveled for Janakpur in the second half of the chase as their middle and lower order collapsed, losing their final wickets in quick succession.
Janakpur won the toss and chose to bowl first, putting Karnali under immediate pressure. Karnali lost an early wicket when Mark Watt fell for just one run in the opening over. Wickets continued to fall, leaving the innings shaky until Ariful Islam and Pawan Sarraf steadied the ship. Ariful top-scored with 43 off 29 balls, hitting four boundaries, while Sarraf contributed a patient 37 off 37 deliveries.
Despite late contributions from Deepak Dumre (13) and Gulshan Jha (12), Janakpur restricted Karnali to 132 for nine. Harmeet led the bowling attack for Janakpur with three wickets for 22 runs, while Moeen Ali and 16-year-old talent-hunt find Rahul Yadav picked up two wickets each.
Chasing 133, Janakpur struggled to establish partnerships. Abhisekh Tiwari top-scored with 20 runs, while Harmeet and Moeen Ali added 19 each. Jimmy Neesham chipped in with 15, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to find momentum against a disciplined bowling unit.
The turning point came in the middle overs when left-arm spinner Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri tore through Janakpur's resistance. Thakuri bowled Harmeet for 19 and followed up by dismissing Neesham and Aaditya Mahata on consecutive deliveries. He finished with three wickets for 22 runs in four overs, including a maiden.
Hussain Talat also claimed three wickets, conceding 26 runs, while Nandan Yadav picked up two wickets to help seal the win for Karnali.
The victory gives Karnali a strong start to the tournament, while Janakpur will head back to the drawing board to fix their batting woes before their next match.
