Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Two matches will be played in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) on Thursday.
Kathmandu Gorkhas take on Janakpur Bolts in the first fixture of the day at 12:30 pm, while Karnali Yaks face Biratnagar in the second fixture at 5 p.m.
Janakpur Bolts will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Karnali Yaks when they face Kathmandu Gorkhas, who begin their 2026 campaign on Thursday. The Bolts struggled with the bat in their opening match, as they fell for 113 for the loss of nine wickets while chasing Karnali’s 132.
The two sides have previously met twice in the NPL, with each side winning once. Kathmandu defeated Janakpur Bolts by five wickets in 2025, while Bolts defeated Gorkhas by five wickets in the 2024 season when they were crowned champions.
Kathmandu will look to Australia’s David Warner to provide firepower at the top of the order, while Janakpur will hope their experienced overseas players can deliver after the setback in the opening match.
Karnali Yaks will be looking to continue the momentum following their win over Janakpur in their opening fixture when they meet Biratnagar Kings on Thursday evening.
Karnali defended a low target of 133 against Janakpur, with Ariful Islam scoring 43 off 29 balls, and Hussain Talat and Unish Bikram Singh taking three wickets each.
Biratnagar, on the other hand, will be looking for their first win after losing to Chitwan Rhinos by eight runs in their opening fixture. Although Imran Sheikh scored 39 and Andre Russell made 33 off 17 balls for Biratnagar in that match, the Kings were bowled out for 149 while chasing 158.
The two sides have met each other twice in the NPL, with both winning one match each. Biratnagar defeated Karnali by three wickets in 2025, while Karnali won their 2024 encounter by seven runs.
