Kathmandu Restrict Defending Champions Janakpur to Modest 130/6 Despite Aasif Sheikh’s Half-Century
The Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025 kicked off today at the TU International Cricket Ground, where the Kathmandu Gorkhas’ tactical decision to bowl first paid early dividends, restricting the defending champions Janakpur Bolts to 130 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Bolts’ innings, which began with promise, quickly fell prey to the Gorkhas’ spin wizardry, led by the exceptional spell from Milind Kumar.
Milind Kumar’s Triple Strike
Kathmandu Gorkhas captain Karan KC’s decision at the toss was emphatically backed up by his bowlers. While opener Aasif Sheikh (54 off 41 balls) provided the anchor with a solid half-century, the other Janakpur batters struggled to build momentum.
The damage was done by medium-pacer Milind Kumar, whose three-wicket burst dismantled the Bolts’ middle order. His figures of 3 wickets for just 15 runs in his four overs were crucial, ensuring that Janakpur could never truly accelerate. Spinners Shahab Alam and Santosh Yadav provided excellent support, claiming a wicket each while maintaining tight control.
Janakpur Bolts’ Innings Breakdown
- Aasif Sheikh was the sole beacon of hope, scoring a fighting 54 runs. However, his dismissal in the 14th over left the lower order with too much to do.
- The defending champions suffered a collapse mid-innings, losing quick wickets to Milind Kumar.
- Despite a late push by Mayan Yadav (30 runs), the run rate remained conservative, hovering just over 6 runs per over throughout the innings.
| Batter | R | B | SR | Dismissal |
| Aasif Sheikh | 54 | 41 | 131.70 | Stumped b Santosh Yadav |
| Mayan Yadav | 30 | 25 | 120.00 | Not Out |
| Lahiru Samarakoon | 14 | 15 | 93.33 | Not Out |
| Bowler | O | R | W | Econ |
| Milind Kumar | 4 | 15 | 3 | 3.75 |
| Shahab Alam | 4 | 20 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Santosh Yadav | 3 | 17 | 1 | 5.67 |
| Karan KC | 4 | 30 | 1 | 7.5 |
The Kathmandu Gorkhas now face a target of 131 runs to secure a victory in the opening match of NPL 2025. With a potent batting line-up, the Gorkhas will fancy their chances of chasing down what appears to be a below-par score on the Kirtipur pitch.
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