Sudurpaschim Royals sealed a dominant Qualifier 1 victory to book their place in the NPL Season 2 final — their second final appearance.
After setting a competitive 155/7 (20 overs), the Royals produced a ruthless bowling performance to dismiss Biratnagar Kings for 78 in 14.1 overs, winning by 77 runs.
Royals built their innings steadily through the middle and finished strong, led by their experienced campaigner Binod Bhandari, who struck 63 off 52 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes). Bhandari anchored the innings while brisk contributions from Sheldon Jackson (20 off 11) and Aarif Sheikh (20 off 13) provided the late momentum. Even so, the total felt 10–15 runs short of what Royals might have ideally wanted on the surface, but it proved far more than enough once their bowlers got going.
For Biratnagar, Marchant de Lange and Pratis GC were the standout performers with the ball, claiming two wickets each and providing key breakthroughs to keep the Royals in check at important moments. Surya Tamang and Sam Heazlett offered solid support with one wicket apiece, ensuring Sudurpaschim could not fully break away despite a late push.
Notably, the Royals batted with clear intent against Sandeep Lamichhane, refusing to take unnecessary risks while still rotating strike effectively. The approach paid off, as the tournament's leading wicket-taker was kept quiet and finished wicketless with 4-0-16-0.
The chase, however, turned dramatic immediately. Biratnagar Kings lost their first wicket on the very first ball, as Sam Heazlett offered a simple catch to Dipendra Singh Airee.
The collapse deepened just five balls later when Martin Guptill was run out at the last ball of first over, and then Naren Bhatta was caught at point on the first ball of the next over, leaving the Kings reeling at 3/3 in 1.1 overs. From there, the innings never recovered, despite Faf du Plessis' 36 off 29 attempting to steady things briefly.
Royals' bowling unit kept squeezing, striking regularly through the powerplay and the middle overs to ensure Biratnagar had no route back into the contest. The Kings were eventually bowled out for 78 in 14.1 overs, sealing a statement win for Sudurpaschim and sending them straight into the final, while Biratnagar now drop into the next playoff with their title hopes hanging by a thread.
Scott Kuggeleijn, Harmeet Singh and Abinash Bohara led the attack with two wickets each, delivering a complete team performance that sealed a statement win and sent the Royals straight into the final.
Bohara's spell also carried extra significance. He now has 16 wickets in the tournament, moving past Sandeep Lamichhane to become the leading wicket-taker of the season.
