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The league stage of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) concluded on Monday, with the top four teams now set for the playoffs.

After 28 matches, Sudurpaschim Royals finished at the top with 12 points, followed by Janakpur Bolts in second place with 10 points. Chitwan Rhinos secured third with eight points, and Karnali Yaks took the fourth spot, also with eight points. Kathmandu Gurkhas, who had eight points, were eliminated due to a lower net run rate.

Lumbini Lions, Pokhara Avengers, and Biratnagar Kings were eliminated earlier.

The playoffs will begin with the first qualifier between Sudurpaschim Royals and Janakpur Bolts. Chitwan Rhinos and Karnali Yaks will face off in the eliminator.

The eliminator is scheduled for Wednesday morning, followed by the first qualifier in the afternoon. The winner of the eliminator will move on to the second qualifier, while the loser will be eliminated. The first qualifier winner will advance to the final, with the losing team heading to the second qualifier. And the winner of the second qualifier will play the final while the loser will be eliminated.

The second qualifier will take place on Thursday, and the final will be held on Saturday.

While the league stage has concluded, let’s revisit how it went.

In the opening match on Nov 30, Janakpur Bolts defeated Biratnagar Kings by eight wickets, chasing down 128 in just 15.3 overs. On Dec 2, Chitwan Rhinos triumphed over Kathmandu Gurkhas by five wickets, while Janakpur Bolts continued their winning streak by defeating Karnali Yaks by eight wickets, successfully chasing 142 in 15.1 overs.

On Dec 3, Sudurpaschim Royals delivered a dominant performance against Biratnagar Kings, winning by 90 runs with a total of 182/7, while Chitwan Rhinos crushed Pokhara Avengers by 87 runs, posting 161/7. The next day, Kathmandu Gurkhas edged past Karnali Yaks by three wickets, chasing 150 with only three balls to spare. Lumbini Lions came close to victory, but Biratnagar Kings clinched a dramatic two-wicket win with just one ball remaining.

Janakpur continued their superb form, defeating Pokhara by seven wickets in a chase of 139 on Dec 5. The same day, Sudurpaschim were once again dominant, beating Kathmandu by 73 runs with a score of 167/6. Chitwan bounced back from their defeat, overcoming Karnali by six wickets in a tight finish on Dec 6.

On Dec 8, Janakpur triumphed over Lumbini by one run, while Chitwan sealed a 33-run victory against Sudurpaschim. On Dec 9, Kathmandu got a crucial win, defeating Lumbini by 18 runs. Pokhara faced a loss against Karnali on Dec 10, with the latter winning by seven wickets.

In the subsequent matches, Sudurpaschim were victorious against Janakpur, winning by 72 runs, while Kathmandu overcame Janakpur by five wickets. The next few days saw dramatic finishes, with teams like Lumbini and Karnali pulling off hard-fought wins, while others such as Chitwan maintained impressive performances.

The league reached its climax on Dec 16, where Sudurpaschim defeated Karnali by six wickets with 28 balls to spare.

The league stage also saw some exceptional individual performances with standout contributions in both batting and bowling. Rohit Paudel of Lumbini leads the run-scoring charts with a total of 279 runs in seven innings, averaging 39.85, while Ravi Bopara of Chitwan follows with 233 runs at an average of 38.83. Andries Gous of Pokhara also impressed with 224 runs in six innings, boasting an average of 44.80. 

On the bowling front, Scott Kuggeleijn of Sudurpaschim has been a force to reckon with, taking 15 wickets in seven innings at a remarkable average of nine. Lalit Rajbanshi of Janakpur and Rijan Dhakal of Chitwan both claimed 13 wickets each, with Rajbanshi maintaining an average of 10.69 and Dhakal’s average standing at 14.46.

Sudurpaschim Royals defeated Karnali Yaks by six wickets in the last match of the league stage in the ongoing Nepal Premier League T20 Cricket Tournament.

Sudurpaschim achieved the 102-run target set by Karnali in 15.2 overs at the loss of four wickets. The match was held at TU Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.

Captain Dipendra Singh Airee and Ishan Pandey scored 38 runs each for Sudurpaschim. Similarly, Saif Zaib made 11 runs, Binod Bhandari and Aarif Sheikh hit four runs each, Brandon MacMullen three runs. Sudurpaschim secured seven extra runs in the match.

Towards bowling, captain Sompal Kami, Bipin Sharma and Nandan Yadav took one wicket each.

Sent into bat first after losing the toss, Karnali Yaks made 101 runs in the allotted 20 overs at the loss of 10 wickets.

Zeeshan Maqsood scored highest 30 runs with the help of four fours in 35 balls for Karnali. William Bosisto scored 16 runs, Babar Hayat 13, and captain Sompal Kami and Chadwick Walton each made 11 runs.

Towards bowling, Harmeet Singh took the highest three wickets for Sudurpaschim. Similarly, captain Dipendra Singh Airee and Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets each while Saif Zaib took one wicket.

Playoff equation completes

The playoff equation of NPL has been completed with the conclusion of the league stage games. Karnali have entered the playoff despite losing to Sudurpaschim. Kathmandu Gurkhas are out of the playoff stage. 

Janakpur Bolts, Chitwan Rhinos and Sudurpaschim Royals have already reached the playoff stage before this.

Sudurpscahim will play against Janakpur in the first qualifier of NPL while Chitwan and Karnali will vie in the eliminator match.

Sudurpaschim Royals triumphed over Pokhara Avengers by a narrow five-run margin in their Nepal Premier League (NPL) clash at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground on Sunday.

With this win, Sudurpaschim have secured a spot in the playoffs, sitting atop the table with 10 points, alongside Janakpur Bolts, who have also qualified. Chitwan Rhinos, with eight points, have secured their place in the playoffs as well.

The final playoff spot will be decided in the upcoming match between Karnali Yaks and Sudurpaschim Royals on Monday. If Karnali suffers a heavy defeat, Kathmandu Gurkhas will qualify for the playoffs. Karnali, however, will secure a place in the playoffs despite a competitive loss.

The top two teams in the league will face off in the first qualifier, with the winner advancing to the final, while the losing team will get another chance in the second qualifier. The third and fourth-placed teams will compete in the eliminator, with the winner moving to the second qualifier.

The Royals posted a challenging total of 153/7 in 20 overs, and despite a determined chase by Pokhara, they were restricted to 148 all out in 19.4 overs. Scott Kuggeleijn was the standout performer, claiming an impressive five wickets for just 18 runs, earning him the Player of the Match award. His brilliant bowling spell helped thwart Pokhara’s chase as they fell agonizingly short of the target.

The Royals’ innings saw steady contributions, with Aarif Sheikh leading the charge, scoring 42 off 38 balls. Despite early wickets, Sudur Paschim managed to post a total of 153/7, with notable contributions from Brandon McMullen (23) and Dipendra Singh Airee (20).

In reply, Pokhara Avengers were off to a shaky start, with key batsmen falling early. Andries Gous top-scored with 36, while Kiran Thagunna contributed 32. However, Kuggeleijn’s brilliant spell and Harmeet Singh’s support, claiming three wickets for 26 runs, ultimately led to the Avengers’ downfall as they were dismissed for 148.

In the first game on Sunday, Kathmandu Gurkhas secured a nail-biting victory over Biratnagar Kings, winning by one wicket with 11 balls to spare.

Chasing a target of 118, Kathmandu’s top-order faced early setbacks, losing key wickets at regular intervals. Stephen Eskinazi (1), Michael Levitt (10), and Gerhard Erasmus (12) all fell cheaply, leaving the Gurkhas struggling at 24/4. However, a gritty 39 from Pratik Shrestha and a crucial 14 from Rashid Khan brought the team back on track.

Dipesh Kandel played a match-winning cameo, remaining unbeaten on 11 off 5 balls, helping Kathmandu over the line with 120/9 in 18.1 overs. Despite the tense chase, Kathmandu managed to reach their target with 11 balls remaining.

Earlier, Biratnagar Kings posted a total of 117, with their top scorers being Dipak Bohara (20) and Rajesh Pulami (25). Kathmandu’s bowlers, led by Dipesh Kandel (2/16) and Sandeep Lamichhane (3/19), proved pivotal in restricting the Kings to a modest total.

Kandel’s all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award, having contributed with both bat and ball.

In Saturday’s match between Chitwan Rhinos and Janakpur Bolts, Jimmy Neesham scored a blistering half-century off just 18 balls. He hit four fours and five sixes during his rapid innings. Neesham was initially caught on the first ball of the 15th over, but it was a no-ball. At that point, Neesham had scored 58 runs. He then hit a six off the subsequent free hit before being dismissed on the fourth ball. Neesham finished with 65 runs from 24 balls, including five fours and six sixes. This was the fastest half-century in NPL history.

Despite Neesham’s explosive knock, Janakpur lost the match by 32 runs.

Kathmandu Gurkhas defeated Biratnagar Kings by one wicket in today's first match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) Cricket Tournament held at TU Cricket Ground Kirtipur. 

Kathmandu achieved the 118-run victory target posted by Biratnagar in 18.1 overs at the loss of eight wickets.

Pratik Shrestha top scored 39 runs, including two sixes and two boundaries, in 34 balls for Kathmandu.  Shankar Rana made 16-not out, Rashid Khan 14, Gerhard Erasmus 12, Dipesh Kandel undefeated 11 and Michael Levitt 10.

Captain Sandeep Lamichhane took the highest three wickets while Chris Sole, Basir Ahamad and Anil Kharel took two wickets each.

Batting first after losing the toss, Biratnagar had scored 117 runs in 19.5 overs by losing all wickets. Rajesh Pulami scored the highest 25 runs with the help of one six and one four in 21 balls for Biratnagar.

Similarly, Dipak Bohara hit 20 runs, Scott Edwards 15, Bashir Ahamad 13 and Nicholas Kirton 12 while others batters failed to score in double digits.

Towards bowling, Gerhard Erasmus took the highest three wickets, Dipesh Kandel two wickets and captain Karan KC, Shahab Alam and Dan Douthwaite took one wicket each for Kathmandu.