Dinesh, Aarif, Rashid shine as NPC beat Koshi to move top of the table

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted Mar 31, 2026

Nepal Police Club moved to the top of the PM Cup Men’s National Cricket Tournament standings after defeating Koshi Province, thanks to a brilliant century partnership between captain Aarif Sheikh and Rashid Khan.

Chasing a modest target of 163, Police reached 164/4 in 33.5 overs. The chase looked shaky early on as they slipped to 11/4, but Arif and Rashid turned the game around with a brilliant 154-run partnership, the second-highest for Police in PM Cup history.

Aarif remained unbeaten on 81 off 79 balls, hitting 11 fours and a six, while Rashid scored an unbeaten 73 off 90 balls. Despite taking four early wickets, Koshi failed to maintain pressure after the initial breakthroughs.

For Koshi, Bipin Mahato picked up two wickets, while Dipesh Kandel claimed one.

Earlier, Koshi were bowled out for 162 in 45.2 overs after being invited to bat first. They had a solid start but faltered badly in the latter stages of the innings.

Suman Shrestha top-scored with 43 runs, while Ankit Subedi added 26. Suman and captain Sujan Thapaliya built a 74-run partnership, taking the team from 41/2 to 115/2. However, Suman’s dismissal triggered a collapse, and Sujan was run out for 48 soon after.

Apart from Shivansh Bajgai, who contributed 15 runs, none of the lower-order batters managed to reach double figures, and Koshi were eventually bowled out for 162.

For Police, all-rounder Dinesh Kharel delivered another impressive bowling performance, taking five wickets for 21 runs in 7.5 overs. Lalit Rajbanshi and Sagar Dhakal chipped in with two wickets each.

With this win, Police now have 7 points from five matches (three wins, one loss, and one shared point) and lead the table on net run rate.

Madhesh Province and Tribhuvan Army Club also have 7 points, but Police are ahead on net run rate.

Koshi Province, on the other hand, suffered their fourth loss in five matches and remain near the bottom of the standings.