Sudurpaschim Royals have reached the finals of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) after defeating Janakpur Bolts by 8 wickets in the first qualifier match on Wednesday, December 18, at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
Chasing a target of 140 runs set by the Bolts, the Royals successfully reached 141 losing two wickets in 18.3 overs.
Binod Bhandari top-scored with an unbeaten 58, while Captain Dipendra Singh Airee contributed 20 not out. Saif Zaib made 32, and Brandon McMullen scored 25. The Royals also received 6 extra runs.
For the Bolts, Lalit Rajbanshi and Kishore Mahato claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, after winning the toss, Janakpur Bolts elected to bat first and made 139 runs losing 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
James Neesham was the top scorer for the Bolts with 45 runs, while Shubh Kansakar contributed 26. Lahiru Milantha and Harsh Thaker made 12 each, and Captain Aasif Sheikh and Arniko Yadav both scored 11. The team also received 10 extra runs.
For the Royals, Dipendra Singh Airee was the most successful bowler, claiming 3 wickets. Saif Zaib took 2 wickets, while Scott Kuggeleijn and Abinash Bohara each took 1.
Janakpur Bolts will now face Karnali Yaks in the second qualifier on Thursday for another chance to reach the final. Earlier today, the Yaks secured their place in Qualifier 2 by defeating Chitwan Rhinos by 21 runs in the eliminator match.
The NPL champion will receive a cash prize of NPR 11 million, while the runner-up will be awarded NPR 5.1 million. Teams finishing third and fourth will receive NPR 2.5 million and NPR 1.5 million, respectively.
The grand finale is scheduled for Saturday, December 21.
