Sudurpaschim Royals Defend 147 to Register Maiden Win

Sudurpaschim Royals defended a modest total of 147 runs to defeat Kathmandu Gorkhas by 29 runs in their opening match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025 on Wednesday.

Playing at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, the Royals bowled out Kathmandu for 118 runs in 16.5 overs.

For Kathmandu, Aakash Tripathi scored 34 runs and John Simpson added 24, but no other batter managed to make an impact in the 148-run chase.

Harmeet Singh starred for Sudurpaschim, taking two wickets for 21 runs in his four overs. Hemant Dhami and Scott Kuggeleijn also grabbed two wickets each.

Earlier, Sudurpaschim posted 147 runs in 20 overs after being invited to bat first.

Harmeet Singh top-scored with a quick-fire 53 off 20 balls, while captain Dipendra Singh Airee made 39 off 30. Aasif Sheikh contributed 25 runs and Ishan Pandey added 11.

For Kathmandu, Karan KC claimed four wickets, while Sunny Patel, Milind Kumar and Rashid Khan took two wickets each. -- RSS

This marked Sudurpaschim Royals’ first victory of the tournament. Kathmandu Gorkhas, who had beaten defending champions Janakpur Bolts by five wickets in the opening match, faced their first defeat.

Chitwan Rhinos will take on Lumbini Lions at 4 pm on Thursday at the same venue. The tournament features eight franchise-based teams.