Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts defeated Biratnagar Kings by eight wickets in the inaugural match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kathmandu on Saturday.
Batting first after losing the toss, Biratnagar Kings were all out for 127 runs in 19 overs. Chasing a modest target of 128, the Bolts comfortably scored 131 runs in 15.3 overs for the loss of two wickets.
Biratnagar Kings, who were 96/4 at the end of the 14th over, experienced a batting collapse and folded for 127 runs in the 19th over. Apart from Martin Guptill, who scored 55 off 43 balls, the rest of the Kings’ batters failed to impress. Aquib Ilyas contributed 15 runs off 18 balls, while no other batter reached double figures.
For the Bolts, Lalit Rajbanshi took three wickets, while Harsh Thaker and Kishore Mahato claimed two each. Ben Mike and Mohammad Mohsin chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Janakpur’s chase started poorly, with both openers back in the dugout by the second over. Aasif Sheikh was dismissed for a duck, while Anil Sah managed just five runs off four balls before being bowled by Pratish GC. However, Lahiru Milantha scored an unbeaten 75 off 53 balls, including nine fours and three sixes, to steer the Bolts to victory. Harsh Thaker remained unbeaten on 29 off 33 balls.
For Biratnagar Kings, Chris Sole and Pratish GC claimed one wicket each.
The next matches in the NPL are scheduled for Monday. Kathmandu Gurkhas will face Chitwan Kings in the first game, while Janakpur Bolts will take on Karnali Yaks in the second.
