Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts and Biratnagar Kings meet in Qualifier 1 of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) at the TU International Cricket Grounds on Tuesday.
The winner of the fixture will enter the final, while the losing side will face the winner of the Eliminator between Kathmandu Gorkhas and Lumbini Lions for a second shot at the title clash.
Although Sudurpashchim finished the league stage at the top of the table, Biratnagar come into the playoffs with renewed confidence after a convincing six-wicket win over Sudurpashchim Royals in their final league match. Biratnagar chased down the 148-run target given by Sudurpashchim in the 12th over, which boosted their net run-rate and helped them leapfrog to Kathmandu Gorkhas to second in the table.
That was the only defeat in the NPL so far for Sudurpashchim, who were defeated by Janakpur Bolts in the final last season.
Tuesday’s match will be the third meeting in the NPL between the two sides. Last season, Sudurpashchim hammered Biratnagar by 90 runs.
Sudurpashchim have looked strong in all departments so far in the NPL. Binod Bhandari and Chris Lynn provided solid starts early on, while captain Dipendra Singh Airee, Ishan Pandey, Aarif Sheikh and Harmit Singh anchored the middle order. Their all-round options — Airee, Scott Kuggeleijn and Harmit — have been central to their consistency. However, since Lynn and Josh Brown are unavailable for the playoffs. Sudurpashchim have brought Mukhtar Ahmed and Sheldon Jackson as their replacements.
Biratnagar, meanwhile, have emerged as a serious contender after a disappointing first season. They have recruited heavily this season, spending big on South African duo Faf du Plessis and Marchant de Lange as well as Australian Sam Heazlett and Kiwi Martin Guptill. Local players Basir Ahmad and Lokesh Bam have supported the foreign recruits well. In bowling, Lamichhane leads the attack with de Lange backing him up.
The match will also be a duel between Biratnagar Kings Captain Sandeep Lamichhane and Abinash Bohra of Sudurpashchim. Lamichhane is the top wicket-taker in NPL so far with 15 scalps, while Bohara is second with 14. Both will be keen to add to their tally to become the highest wicket-taker this season.
