Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts lifted the title of the Nepal Premier League, defeating Sudurpashchim Royals by five wickets at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday.
Batting first after winning the toss, Sudurpashchim Royals scored 184 runs for the loss of nine wickets. Janakpur Bolts met the target, losing three wickets with four balls to spare.
With the victory, Janakpur Bolts finally triumphed over Sudurpashchim Royals in their third encounter. Despite losing twice earlier—once in the league stage and again in Qualifier 1— the Bolts delivered when it mattered most: in the final.
Sudurpashchim Royals made an excellent start with the bat. Saif Zaib scored 69 off 43 balls, while Binod Bhandari hit a 31-ball 41. However, other Royals batters failed to build on the foundation provided by their openers. Brandon McMullen and Harmeet Singh were out for 14 each, while Scott Kuggeleijn scored 13, and Dipendra Singh Airee fell for 9. Naresh Budayair and Ishan Pandey scored 8 and 6, respectively.
Kishore Mahato and Mohammad Mohsin took three wickets each for Janakpur, while James Neesham and Lalit Rajbanshi claimed a wicket each.
Chasing 185 runs to become champions of the inaugural NPL, Janakpur openers raced to 73 runs in just 6.6 overs. Lahiru Milantha top-scored for Janakpur with a 49-ball 87, while Aasif Sheikh scored 33 off 19. Mohammad Mohsin and James Neesham fell for 9 and 4, respectively, but Harsh Thaker batted till the end, scoring an unbeaten 30 off 28.
Scott Kuggeleijn, Dipendra Singh Airee, Saif Zaib, and Ishan Pandey claimed a wicket each for Sudurpashchim.
