Sudurpaschim begin NPL campaign with a win after Harmeet's all-round performance

Sudurpaschim Royals made a dramatic start to their Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL) campaign on Wednesday, defeating Kathmandu Gorkhas in a tense and unpredictable contest at TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. 

Last season’s runners-up endured a disastrous start with the bat but recovered superbly to seal a memorable victory. The comeback was led by American all-rounder Harmeet Singh, who continued his outstanding recent form and delivered a match-winning performance in both innings. 

His explosive batting rescued Sudurpaschim from early trouble, and his incisive bowling turned the match decisively in their favour. Harmeet was later named Player of the Match. 

Sudurpaschim were asked to bat first after losing the toss and immediately found themselves in crisis. They lost two wickets in the opening over as Josh Brown was trapped lbw by Kathmandu captain Karan KC and Binod Bhandari fell caught. 

The collapse deepened when Australian power-hitter Chris Lynn departed cheaply in Karan’s next over, leaving the Royals reeling at 4 for 3 inside three overs.

Ishan Pandey’s dismissal for 11 at the end of the powerplay, followed by the wickets of Aarif Sheikh in the 10th over and Naren Saud in the 14th, pushed Sudurpaschim to 72 for 6. 

Harmeet Singh’s arrival changed everything. He launched a furious counterattack, smashing three sixes off Milind Kumar in the 16th over, which yielded 21 runs. In the next over he struck one four and three more sixes as Sudurpaschim’s total surged past 120. 

Harmeet completed his half-century off just 19 balls before falling to a catch, but his contribution helped the Royals post a competitive 147 in 20 overs. 

Kathmandu, who had comfortably beaten defending champions Janakpur Bolts in their opening match, appeared well-placed in the chase. At 87 for 3 after 10 overs, with Aakash Tripathi and John Simpson set, they needed only 61 runs from the final 60 balls. 

But a series of impulsive, unnecessary risks triggered their downfall. Simpson attempted a reverse shot against Ishan Pandey in the 11th over and was trapped lbw, a dismissal Kathmandu did not need at that stage. 

The momentum completely shifted in the 12th over when Harmeet removed both Aakash Tripathi and Aadil Alam, reducing Kathmandu to 96 for 6 and leaving them unable to recover. 

Milind Kumar, who appeared frustrated by Akash’s soft dismissal earlier, also fell while trying to play a big shot in the 15th over. Rashid Khan was lbw in the next over and captain Karan KC holed out shortly after as the Gorkhas lost wickets in clusters and surrendered a match that had been within their grasp. 

Harmeet finished with two crucial wickets, while Scott Kuggeleijn and Hemant Dhami took two each. Dhami had earlier dismissed openers Ben Charlesworth and Bhim Sharki cheaply, putting Kathmandu under early pressure, while Kuggeleijn removed Milind and Karan to seal Sudurpaschim’s victory. 

Sudurpaschim coach Jagat Tamatta praised Harmeet’s composure and execution under pressure, noting that both Harmeet and Dipendra Singh Airee had been tasked with batting through the overs to steady the innings. 

Kathmandu coach Monty Desai also acknowledged Harmeet’s impact and admitted that his side lost rhythm after the 10-over mark. 

He said the target of 148 was within reach but required stronger partnerships and fewer rushed decisions. 

In the end, Sudurpaschim’s resilience and Harmeet Singh’s all-round brilliance proved decisive, giving the Royals a winning start in the tournament and handing Kathmandu Gorkhas a painful lesson in composure and game management.