Sudurpaschim storm into playoffs as Janakpur slip toward early exit

The contrast between last season’s finalists could not be sharper in the second edition of the Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL). 

While runners-up Sudurpaschim Royals have become the first team to secure a playoff berth with five wins in five matches, defending champions Janakpur Bolts remain winless after four games and are now on the brink of elimination. 

Sudurpaschim maintained their flawless run on Saturday with a commanding six-wicket victory over Janakpur, handing the former champions their fourth consecutive defeat. 

Janakpur benched regular captain Anil Sah, reportedly due to a minor injury and entrusted leadership to South African import Wayne Parnell. But the change made little difference to their fortunes. 

With only three league matches remaining, Janakpur now need to win all their remaining games and hope for several other results to go their way to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. 

Sudurpaschim’s dominance began with the ball. Opting to bowl first after losing the toss, they restricted Janakpur to a modest 145 for eight. Avinash Bohara starred with career-best figures, taking four wickets and breaking Janakpur’s momentum in the final overs. 

Earlier, Scott Kuggeleijn had kept the top order under control with three wickets. At 112 for three after 15 overs, and with Sanjay Krishnamurthy well set after reaching a half-century, Janakpur looked poised for a total beyond 160. However, Sanjay’s dismissal triggered a collapse that left the defending champions scoring just 33 runs in the final five overs. 

Chasing 146, Sudurpaschim were rocked early as Australian power-hitters Josh Brown and Chris Lynn departed with only one run on the board. But Binod Bhandari and Ishan Pandey steadied the innings with a superb 91-run stand for the third wicket. 

Binod contributed a steady 41, while Ishan crafted a composed half-century before falling for 54. Harmet Singh then finished the job in style, smashing three sixes and a four to wrap up the chase with ease. Ishan was later named Player of the Match. 

After the victory, bowler Avinash Bohara expressed delight at the team’s perfect start, praising both foreign and Nepali players for maintaining strong rhythm and a positive team environment. 

Lumbini keep playoff hopes alive 

Earlier in the day, Lumbini Lions revived their campaign with a last-over victory against Pokhara Avengers, securing their second win of the tournament. 

Chasing 151, Lumbini reached the target with two balls to spare, thanks to a composed middle-order innings from captain Rohit Paudel and a crucial 37-run knock from Sri Lankan recruit Niroshan Dickwella, who made an immediate impact after joining the squad. 

Pokhara struggled with both bowling and fielding, with only Bipin Khatri delivering an economical spell while others proved expensive. As a result, they failed to defend what appeared to be a competitive total. 

With the win, Lumbini now have four points from five matches and remain in the playoff race with two games to go. Pokhara, on the other hand, have just two points from four matches but still have three fixtures left to attempt a comeback. 

Pokhara’s Jimmy Neesham, who played his last match of the NPL before departing for ILT20 duties, admitted disappointment but remained hopeful that the team could still fight their way into contention.