PM Cup 2025: Koshi Province finished their PM Cup 2025 campaign with their eighth loss, failing to defend their highest-ever total in the tournament.
The Men’s PM Cup has been played in a single league format for the past two editions. Previously, teams were divided into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
In the first edition of the tournament in 2017, Koshi (formerly the Eastern Development Region) played two group-stage matches, losing both, while one ended without a result. In 2018, they registered their first win but lost the other three games. The tournament then expanded to 10 teams, with three departmental clubs and seven provincial teams split into two groups.
Over the next three editions (2019, 2021, 2022), Koshi managed only one win per tournament, defeating Karnali in 2019 and 2021, and Bagmati in 2022. In 2024, when the format changed to a single league with 10 teams, they were expected to improve but still won just one game.
This year, Koshi secured their only victory against Gandaki, bowling them out for just 31 runs—the second-lowest total in PM Cup history. Koshi chased the target in 8.2 overs, losing just one wicket.
On Wednesday, Koshi raised hopes for a second win by posting their highest-ever tournament total—255 runs—against departmental team APF at Siddhartha Cricket Stadium. A strong 90-run opening partnership, Shakib Haq’s 68 off 33 balls, and contributions from the top five batters (each scoring 30+ runs) helped Koshi achieve this milestone.
Despite their strong start, Koshi could not hold off APF, who chased the target with two wickets and 32 balls remaining. Lokesh Bam’s unbeaten 84 off 54 deliveries and skipper Paudel’s 61 off 73 ensured APF’s victory.
Throughout the 2025 edition, Koshi batted first only twice. Their second-highest total (230 runs) came against TAC on March 15, and their third-highest (211 runs) was recorded against Sudurpaschim on March 23.
With this win, third-placed APF matched TAC in points but could not surpass their net run rate. For APF to reach the final, TAC would need to suffer a massive defeat against NPC in their final league game.
The final league matches—NPC vs TAC at Extratech Cricket Oval and Madhesh vs Bagmati at Siddhartha Stadium—will conclude the 19-day tournament, where all 10 teams played a total of 45 matches.
