Biratnagar’s third consecutive win, Janakpur still winless

Kathmandu – Biratnagar Kings have secured their third consecutive win in the Nepal Premier League (NPL).

In Monday’s first match of the day, Biratnagar defeated Janakpur Bolts by 9 runs, claiming their third straight victory. For Janakpur, however, this marked their second consecutive loss.

Biratnagar’s win was highlighted by a sensational bowling performance from captain Sandeep Lamichhane.

Losing the toss and batting first, Biratnagar Kings had set a modest target of 136 runs. But while chasing, Janakpur kept losing wickets in the death overs and failed to reach the seemingly achievable target.

For Janakpur, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton scored the highest with 41 runs. Apart from him, Lahiru Milantha made 23 runs, and Sanjay Krishnamurthy contributed 20 runs. In restricting Janakpur cheaply, Sandeep Lamichhane bowled lethally—taking 4 wickets for just 11 runs in his 4 overs. Surya Tamang took 2 wickets, while Shuman Ranjana and Merchant Long claimed 1 wicket each.

Earlier, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Biratnagar were limited to 135 runs for 7 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. For Biratnagar, Shubham Ranjan scored 37 runs, while Basir Ahmed made 36. Likewise, Lokesh Bam scored 28, Martin Guptill 13, and George Munsey 10 runs. For Janakpur, Sanjit Kori and Rupesh Singh took 2 wickets each, while Aditya Mahato claimed 1 wicket.