The Sudurpaschim Royals delivered a decisive six-wicket win against the Karnali Yaks on Monday, December 16, in the final match of Nepal Premier League (NPL) before the playoffs. This victory sets up the first qualifier between the Royals and the Janakpur Bolts on Wednesday, December 18.
The Bolts, with 10 points from seven matches, stands second on the table. Meanwhile, the Chitwan Rhinos (third), Karnali Yaks (fourth), and Kathmandu Gurkhas (fifth) are locked at 8 points each, with net run rate determining their positions.
The Yaks will now face the Rhinos in the do-or-die eliminator match on Wednesday morning.
The playoffs format offers the top two teams a strategic advantage. The winner of the first qualifier will directly advance to the final, while the loser gets another chance to secure a spot by facing the winner of the eliminator in the second qualifier on Thursday. The much-anticipated final is scheduled for Saturday, December 21.
Chasing a modest target of 102, the Royals struggled initially, losing three wickets for just 28 runs within the first six overs. Despite this shaky start, a match-winning partnership between skipper Dipendra Singh Airee and Ishan Pandey steadied the ship. Both players scored 38 runs, with Pandey remaining unbeaten to guide his team to victory in 15.2 overs.
The Royals missed an opportunity to complete the chase within 12.2 overs, which would have knocked the Yaks out of playoff contention and elevated the Kathmandu Gurkhas to fourth place.
For the Yaks, captain Sompal Kami, Bipin Sharma, and Nandan Yadav each took a wicket but couldn’t prevent the Royals from cruising to the target.
Earlier in the match, Sudurpaschim’s bowlers dominated the Yaks, restricting them to 101/9 in 20 overs. Harmeet Singh was the standout performer with three wickets, while Scott Kuggeleijn and Airee picked up two wickets each. Saif Zaib chipped in with a crucial dismissal to stifle any momentum the Yaks tried to build.
Zeeshan Maqsood was the top scorer for the Yaks, contributing 30 runs off 35 balls, but the team failed to capitalize on his effort.
Airee’s all-round brilliance—claiming two wickets and anchoring the chase with a composed 38—earned him the Player of the Match award.
