Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) defeated Sudurpashchim Province by five wickets on Friday to win the title of the Prime Minister (PM) Cup Men’s National Cricket Tournament for the third time.
In the final held at the Narayani Cricket Ground in Birgunj, Sudurpashchim were bowled out for 161 runs in 39.4 overs after electing to bat first. In reply, TAC chased down the target, scoring 164 for the loss of five wickets in 34.3 overs, with 93 balls to spare.
Sudurpashchim suffered an early collapse as the provincial side lost their top five wickets for just 31 runs inside 11 overs. Kiran Thagunna (35) and Narayan Joshi (29) attempted to rebuild the innings before Ashok Dhami top-scored with 43 off 46 balls. Hemant Dhami added 16. Other Sudurpashchim batters failed to reach double figures.
Aakash Chand and Shahab Alam claimed three wickets each for TAC, while Basir Ahmad picked up two.
In the chase, opener Trit Raj Das scored 31, but did not find support at the other end as TAC lost Captain Binod Bhandari (20) and Bhim Sharki (4) cheaply. Kushal Malla contributed 17 before an unbeaten 46 from Imran Sheikh and 45 off 56 balls by Basir Ahmad guided TAC to victory with 93 balls remaining
For Sudurpashchim, Hemant Dhami took two wickets, while Bikash Aagri, Sher Malla and Ashok Dhami claimed one wicket each.
TAC previously won the title in 2021 and the inaugural 2017 edition, which they shared with the Nepal Police Club (NPC).
The champions received a cash prize of Rs 1 million, while the runners-up, Sudurpashchim Province, were awarded Rs 500,000.
Ashik Baitha of Madhesh Province was adjudged Emerging Player of the Tournament. He received a check of Rs 50,000 and a trophy.
Similarly, Hemant Dhami of Sudurpashchim was declared Best Bowler of the tournament. He picked up 27 wickets in 10 innings. Arjun Kumal of Gandaki Province was adjudged the Best Batter of the PM Cup. Kumal scored 504 runs in nine innings, including two centuries. Likewise, Santosh Yadav of Lumini Province was named Player of the Tournament for his all-round performance. He picked up 21 wickets and scored 265 runs in nine innings. All three received a trophy and a motorbike each.
