NPL 2026: Karnali ends with a consolation win

Kathmandu: Karnali Yaks have registered a consolation win in their last match of the 3rd edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL).

Karnali are already out of the competition, after failing to qualify for the play-offs. In the first match of the day held at TU International Cricket Stadium, Kirtipur, Karnali defeated Chitwan Rhinos by 24 runs to end the tournament with a win in the last match.

Deciding to bat first after winning the toss, Karnali Yaks posted a total of 153 runs at the loss of 8 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.

Hussain Talat scored a half-century (51 in 33 balls) while opener Ariful Islam contributed 35 runs in just 15 balls. Gulshan Jha (18) and Pawan Sarraf (15) were other notable contributors with the bat for Karnali. For the bowling side, Kamal Airee, Salahuddin Khan and Usama Mir took 2 wickets each.

In reply, chasing a modest target of 154 runs in 120 balls, Chitwan were all out in the 19th over, with just 129 runs on the board. Only Usama Mir (28 in 23 balls) and Kamil Mishara (25 in 17 balls) were the batsmen who were able to score in the 20s. Six batsmen failed to reach the double digits.

For Karnali, Hussain Talat took 3 wickets, which earned him the player-of-the-match award, including a half-century of runs. Mark Watt and Pawan Sarraf took 2 wickets each.

Despite the loss today, Chitwan are into the play-offs, as they end with 7 points in 7 matches. Meanwhile, Pokhara Avengers is facing Kathmandu Gorkhas in the second match of the day to be played under lights. Kathmandu has already qualified for the play-offs, while Pokhara is out of the competition.

RSS