Army maintain unbeaten run in PM Cup with Kushal Malla heroics

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted Mar 29, 2026

An unbeaten knock from Kushal Malla powered Tribhuvan Army Club to another victory in the PM Cup, as they chased down a challenging target to remain unbeaten in the tournament.

In a rain-reduced 28-over match, Bagmati set a competitive target of 209 runs. Army successfully chased it down with one ball to spare, finishing at 209/7.

Malla was the standout performer, smashing an unbeaten 90 off just 58 balls, including 3 fours and 8 sixes. He received support from opener Trit Raj Das, who scored 54, and Naren Saud, who added 26.

Army were in trouble at 118/5 during the chase, but Malla turned the game around with a remarkable display of power-hitting. With 35 runs needed off the final two overs, he single-handedly scored 33 runs, hitting five sixes to seal the win.

The turning point came in the 27th over when Malla took on Sandeep Lamichhane, smashing him for 22 runs, including three sixes. He then followed it up with another attacking over against Rijan Dhakal.

Lamichhane praised Malla’s innings after the match, calling him one of Nepal’s finest players. He admitted that his 27th over proved decisive, as his attempt to take a wicket with a googly did not succeed.

For Bagmati, Ishan Pandey and Bibek Magar picked up two wickets each, while Dhakal, Lamichhane, and Sonu Devkota claimed one apiece.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Bagmati posted 208/7 in their 28 overs. Ashutosh Ghiraiya top-scored with 38, while Pawan Thapa made 35 and both Bibek Magar and Sonu Devkota contributed 30 runs each.

For Army, Naren Saud was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Shahab Alam, Durgesh Gupta, and Basir Ahmad took one wicket each.

With this win, Army have registered three victories in four matches, while one match against APF ended without a result.

Bagmati, meanwhile, suffered their third loss in four games.