Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Gurkhas secured its first victory in the Nepal Premier League (NPL), defeating Karnali Yaks by three wickets at the TU International Cricket Grounds on Wednesday.
Batting first, Karnali Yaks posted 149 runs for the loss of five wickets, powered by Shikhar Dhawan’s magnificent half-century. Kathmandu chased down the target losing seven wickets with three balls to spare.
This was Karnali Yaks’ second consecutive loss in the NPL. The Karnali Province-based side suffered an eight-wicket defeat against Janakpur Bolts in its opening on Sunday.
Karnali made a slow start with the bat, losing opener Dev Khanal for a duck. However, Shikhar Dhawan anchored the innings, remaining unbeaten with a superb 72 off 52 balls. Chadwick Walton chipped in with 21 off 15 balls, while Babar Hayat and Gulsan Jha added 13 and 12 runs, respectively. Zeeshan Maqsood contributed 14 not out from 11 balls.
Gerhard Erasmus claimed three wickets for Kathmandu, while Karan KC, Rashid Khan, and Nathan Sowter took a wicket each.
In the chase, Sumit Maharjan’s unbeaten 40 off 37 balls played an important role in securing Kathmandu’s first win. Captain Karan KC smashed a quickfire 28 off 10 balls, while Erasmus and Michael Levitt contributed 38 (28 balls) and 22 (19 balls), respectively.
Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Gulsan Jha, Zeeshan Maqsood, and Bipin Sharma each took a wicket for Karnali Yaks.
Lumbini Lions will face Biratnagar Kings in the second match of the day.
