The final match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2024 will be played between Sudurpaschim Royals and Janakpur Bolts. In a low-scoring Qualifier 2 match held at the TU Ground in Kirtipur, Janakpur defeated Karnali Yaks by two wickets.
Now, the final will feature the top two teams from the league stage. Janakpur chased a target of 119 runs, scoring 120 for 8 wickets in 19 overs.
Mayank Yadav and Sher Malla led Janakpur to victory. Mayank scored 14 runs before being run out, while Sher remained not out with 16 runs. The final will take place on Saturday.
In the first qualifier, Sudurpaschim had defeated Janakpur. This time too, Janakpur had a poor start. Opener Subash Khakurel scored only 3 runs, and captain Aasif Sheikh made just 4 runs.
Soon after, Lahiru Milantha was dismissed for 2 runs, and Aakash Tripathi returned to the pavilion after scoring 13 runs. Harsh Thaker’s run-out for 15 runs was an unfortunate moment for Janakpur.
Jimmy Neesham stabilized Janakpur’s innings. The New Zealand batter scored 45 runs off 17 balls, hitting 2 fours and 5 sixes. He was bowled by Bipin Sharma.
Earlier, Karnali scored only 118 runs in 20 overs, losing 9 wickets. Their batting performance wasn’t strong either. The highest contribution came from Gulshan Jha, who scored 25 runs off 20 balls, including 1 four and 2 sixes. He was bowled by Mohammad Mohsin.
Opener Dev Khanal scored 24 runs with 3 fours and 1 six in 20 balls. Another opener, Jaykishan Kolsawala, was out for just 1 run.
The three foreign players from Karnali also didn’t perform well. Zeeshan Maqsood scored 12 runs, William Bosisto made 14, and Chadwick Walton scored 11 runs.
Towards the end, Unish Thakuri added 12 runs to push the score further. Among Janakpur’s bowlers, Lalit Rajbanshi, James Neesham, and Mohammad Mohsin each took two wickets.
