Sudurpaschim Royals clinched their second victory in the ongoing Nepal Premier League (NPL) by defeating Kathmandu Gurkhas by 73 runs in the match held at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Thursday, November 5.
Chasing the target of 168 runs set by the Royals, the Gurkhas were all out for 94 runs in 15.5 overs.
Stephen Eskinazi was the top scorer for the Gurkhas, making 37 runs off 33 balls, including one six and five boundaries. However, the rest of the batting lineup struggled.
Sudurpaschim Royals' bowlers were in dominant form, led by Naran Saud, who got the fifer, the second of the tournament. Abhinash Bohora took two wickets, while Brandon McMullen and Saif Zaib got one each.
Earlier, Sudurpaschim Royals, having lost the toss and invited to bat first, posted a total of 167/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Brandon McMullen top-scored for the Royals with 54 runs off 36 balls, including four sixes and three fours. Captain Deependra Singh Airee provided valuable support, scoring 42 runs off 25 balls, which included two sixes and three fours. Binod Bhandari chipped in with 35 runs, while Saif Zaib contributed 11 runs.
While Rashid Khan took two wickets for the Gurkhas, Gerhard Erasmus, Shahab Alam, and captain Karan KC each claimed one wicket.
This marked the second loss for the Kathmandu Gurkhas in the tournament in three matches. For the Royals, this was the second win, following a 90-run triumph over the Biratnagar Kings.
