Chitwan Rhinos beat Janakpur Bolts by four wickets in the Nepal Premier League on Friday, chasing down a target of 89 in 17.2 overs. Despite struggling with the bat during the powerplay, Chitwan steadied their innings to secure the win and strengthen their bid for a place in the playoffs.
Janakpur, the champions of the inaugural edition, had a poor outing with the bat in the second match of the day. After winning the toss and opting to bat, they managed only 88 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs.
Chitwan’s bowlers put Janakpur under pressure from the outset, triggering a steady fall of wickets. Opener Trit Raj Das was dismissed for five, while Ryan Burl managed six before being bowled by Chitwan captain Sikandar Raza.
Spinner Ranjeet Kumar sent both Janakpur openers Santosh Karki and Harry Tector back to the pavilion. Karki, playing his first match, scored 10, while Tector was dismissed without scoring. Bishal Susling made 15, but none of the other batters managed to reach double figures.
With Jimmy Neesham out for a duck and Abhishek Tiwari dismissed for four, Janakpur were reduced to 62 for seven. Aaditya Mahata struggled to get going, scoring just four off 26 balls.
Captain Harmeet Singh tried to steady the innings with a top score of 25 off 25 balls, including two fours and a six. Janakpur reached 88 after Rahul Yadav hit a six off the final ball. Yadav remained unbeaten on 10, alongside Lalit Rajbanshi on two.
Ranjeet Kumar was the pick of Chitwan’s bowlers, taking three wickets for just two runs in three overs, including one maiden. Sikandar Raza and Kamil Mishara took two wickets each.
Chitwan, however, also struggled to make progress in their chase. Spinners Lalit Rajbanshi and Rahul Yadav bowled economically and kept the Rhinos under pressure from the start.
Rajbanshi bowled Arjun Saud with the first ball of the innings. Opener Kamil Mishara scored 12, while Ravi Bopara made 13 before both were dismissed by Yadav in the fourth over.
Rajbanshi then bowled captain Sikandar Raza for a duck, while Yadav had Bibek Yadav caught for seven. Chitwan lost five wickets in the powerplay, leaving them in a difficult position despite the modest target.
Kushal Malla, who was struggling on 15 off 25 balls, was dismissed by Bishal Susling and appeared visibly frustrated. Santosh Karki took the catch and appealed for a review under the Decision Review System (DRS). The umpire had initially not given Malla out, but overturned the decision after the review.
At 67 for six in 13.2 overs, Chitwan were still in danger of falling short. Dawid Malan, however, held his ground and guided the team home with an unbeaten 35. He sealed the victory with a six off the second ball of the 18th over.
The win took Chitwan to seven points and fourth place in the league standings. Janakpur, with four points, remain sixth.
