Janakpur Bolts claimed the first-ever Nepal Premier League (NPL) title with a convincing 5-wicket win over Sudurpaschim Royals in the final held at the TU International Cricket Stadium, Kirtipur, on Saturday, December 21.
Lahiru Milantha stole the show with an explosive 87 runs off 49 balls, helping Janakpur Bolts chase down a target of 185 with ease. Milantha and captain Aasif Sheikh (33 off 19 balls) set a solid foundation with a 73-run partnership in just seven overs. Although wickets fell later, Harsh Thaker (30* off 24 balls) and Mayan Yadav (2* off 3 balls) guided the team to victory with four balls remaining.
For Sudurpaschim Royals, Scott Kuggeleijn, Saif Zaib, and Ishan Pandey each took a wicket, but their efforts weren’t enough to stop the Bolts.
Earlier, the Royals chose to bat first and started strong with openers Saif Zaib (69 off 43 balls) and Binod Bhandari (41 off 31 balls) putting together a 117-run stand in just 72 balls. However, Lalit Rajbanshi broke the partnership, triggering a quick collapse. Janakpur’s bowlers Mohammed Mohsin (3 for 40) and Kishore Mahato (3 for 25) kept striking at regular intervals, restricting the Royals to 184/9 in 20 overs.
This was a sweet victory for the Bolts, as they had lost to the Royals twice earlier in the tournament.
