PM Cup: TAC hammer Koshi to enter final, Nepal APF defeat Madhesh

KATHMANDU: Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) and Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) Club won their respective matches in the PM Cup Men’s Cricket Tournament on Monday.

TAC hammered Karnali Province by 185 runs to book their spot in the final, while Nepal APF confirmed their top-four finish with a 74-run win over Madhesh Province.

TAC vs Koshi

Batting first in Match No. 40 in Janakpur, TAC scored 362 runs for the loss of eight wickets. In reply, Koshi folded for 177 runs in 36 overs.

The opening pair of Trit Raj Das and captain Binod Bhandari added 83 runs for the first wicket for TAC. After Das fell for 33 runs in the 12th over, Bhandari and Bhim Sharki (80) took the score to 249 in the 33rd over. Even after Sharki fell, Bhandari continued his aggression with the bat and scored 189 off just 150 balls. Jitendra Thakur contributed 31 runs off 25 balls. Other TAC batters failed to reach double digits.

Bipin Mahato claimed three wickets for Koshi, while Dipesh Kandel, Rohan Shah, and Ashish Magar picked up a wicket each.

In reply, Koshi batters struggled in the chase of a massive 363 runs. Middle-order batter Prabhati Rai top-scored for the side with 38 off 45 balls, while Shiwash Bajgain made 37 off 47 balls. Captain Sujan Thapaliya (30) and Ashish Magar (25) got starts but failed to convert them into big scores. Other Koshi batters failed to reach double digits.

Aakash Chand took three wickets for TAC, while Basir Ahmad claimed two, and Shahab Alam, Pawan Karki, and Naren Saud picked up one each.

Nepal APF vs Madhesh

Batting first in Match No. 41 in Birgunj, Nepal APF scored 390 for the loss of five wickets—the highest total in the tournament so far—as Aasif Sheikh scored a double century and two other batters struck half-centuries. In reply, Madhesh were all out for 316 runs.

Although opener Deepak Bohara (13) fell cheaply, Aasif Sheikh scored 208 off 142 balls before he was retired out. He struck 15 fours and 17 sixes. He found support from captain Rohit Paudel and Sundeep Jora, who scored 55 and 56, respectively. Lokesh Bam and Kamal Airee remained not out on 21 and 18, respectively.

Rupesh Singh took three wickets for Madhesh, while Ranjit Kumar chipped in with one.

Chasing 391 runs, Madhesh lost their top four batters for just 91 runs in 25.1 overs. Mohammad Samir scored 22, while captain Anil Sah made 29. However, Arniko Yadav scored 86 off 73 balls to keep Madhesh in the hunt. Mohammad Aadil Alam scored an aggressive 87 off 43 balls, and Bishal Shushling made 39 off 54 balls. However, the target proved too big for Madhesh. Bishal Patel chipped in with an unbeaten 17 off 13 balls.

Avinash Gautam took three wickets for APF, while Kamal Airee picked up two, and Bhuvan Karki, Rohit Paudel, and Yuvaraj Khatri accounted for one wicket each.