Pokhara Crushed by 87 Runs in NPL Opener Against Chitwan Rhinos

Kathmandu – In their first match of the Nepal Premier League, Pokhara was defeated by 87 runs. Facing Chitwan Rhinos, Pokhara could not survive long at the crease and, chasing a target of 162 runs, was dismissed for 74 runs in 13.2 overs.

Narayan Joshi was the top scorer for Pokhara, making 30 runs. Apart from him, Marcus Critchley scored 17 runs. No other player managed to score in double digits.

Earlier, after adding just 7 runs, 6 Pokhara batsmen had returned to the pavilion. Chasing the high target of 162 runs, Pokhara was dismantled right from the first over, and the collapse continued unabated.

The Pakistani bowler Sohail Tanvir, who came on to bowl first against Pokhara, took 3 wickets in the very first over, giving away only 4 runs. He dismissed Kushal Bhurtel for a golden duck on the first ball, followed by Dilip Nath for 4 runs on the fifth ball, and Bas de Leede for a duck on the last ball, claiming 3 wickets in his first over.

After that, Pokhara managed to save a wicket in the second over, but in the third over, they continued to struggle. In the second over, Rizan bowled a maiden. In the third over, Tanvir’s bowling led to the fall of more wickets. In the fourth over, Rizan Dhakal came in and took 3 wickets again.

Tanvir, Rizan, and Luke Benkestein each took 3 wickets, with another wicket going to Dipak Bohra.