In a dominant bowling performance led by captain Sandeep Lamichhane, Biratnagar Kings clinched their third straight victory in the second Nepal Premier League (NPL), defeating Janakpur by 9 runs in a thrilling contest. Set a target of 136, Janakpur was bowled out for 126 in 20 overs. With the win, Biratnagar Kings moved to the top of the NPL standings with 6 points. With this victory, Biratnagar extended their perfect start to the tournament, while Janakpur suffered their second consecutive defeat. Janakpur struggled from the outset in their chase. After losing opener Ashif Sheikh for 13 runs, they managed only 35 runs in the first powerplay, 5 runs less than Biratnagar’s total in their own powerplay. Janakpur lost their second wicket at 35, with captain Anil Shah dismissed for 4 runs off 14 balls.
Sandeep Lamichhane was the standout performer with 4 wickets for 11 runs in 4 overs, while Surya Tamang contributed with 2 wickets.
Earlier, Biratnagar posted 135/7 in their 20 overs, with Janakpur’s spinners containing them to just 40 runs in the powerplay. Opener George Munsey (10) and Martin Guptill (13) were dismissed early, but a 52-run partnership between Basir Ahmed and Shubham Ranjane briefly revived Biratnagar’s innings.