Kathmandu Gorkhas clinch opening NPL thriller with dominant chase against Janakpur Bolts

Kathmandu Gorkhas began their Nepal Premier League 2025 campaign with a commanding five-wicket victory over Janakpur Bolts at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Monday. After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Kathmandu produced a disciplined performance to restrict Janakpur to a modest total before chasing down the target with two overs remaining.

Match 1·NPLT20 2025

OtherT20

JanakpurJAB

130/6(20 ov)

KathmanduKAG

131/5(18/20 ov)

KAG won by 5 wickets

Janakpur's innings revolved around opener Aasif Sheikh, who played a fluent knock of 54 runs off 41 balls, striking six fours and a six. He received support from Mayan Yadav, who finished unbeaten on 34 off 29 balls, but regular wickets prevented the Bolts from building sustained momentum.

Kathmandu's bowling attack was led brilliantly by Milind Kumar, who returned outstanding figures of 3/15 from 4 overs, while Shahab Alam chipped in with 1/20, helping limit Janakpur to 130/6 in 20 overs.

In reply, Kathmandu made a confident start through Ben Charlesworth, whose explosive 46 from 23 balls—featuring five fours and three sixes—put immediate pressure on the Janakpur bowlers. Skipper Aakash Tripathi anchored the chase with a composed 39 off 45 deliveries, ensuring stability despite a few middle-order stumbles. Late contributions from Gerhard Erasmus and Mohammad Aadil Alam (8 off 4)* completed the job as Kathmandu reached 131/5 in 18 overs.

Janakpur's bowlers showed glimpses of control, with Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton delivering a tidy spell of 1/16, and Sanjay Krishnamurthi conceding just 8 runs in his single over. However, the total proved insufficient against a confident Kathmandu batting lineup that kept ahead of the required rate throughout the chase.

With this win, Kathmandu Gorkhas begin the tournament on a positive note, showcasing balance with both bat and ball, while Janakpur Bolts will look to tighten their middle-overs execution as the league progresses.