Janakpur Bolts kicked off the 2026 Nepal Premier League (NPL) with an impressive eight-wicket victory over Kathmandu Gorkha at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Thursday.
They successfully chased down a target of 116, scoring 116/2 in 17.2 overs, led by an unbeaten 50 from Moeen Ali. Moeen Ali and Saif Hassan were key contributors to the team’s success.
Moeen Ali was pivotal in Janakpur’s win, scoring an unbeaten 58 off 51 balls, including three fours and three sixes. This performance came after the team lost two quick wickets.
Saif Hassan supported him well with an unbeaten 40 off 39 balls. Together, they formed an unbroken 79-run partnership for the third wicket.
Janakpur’s innings got off to a rocky start, losing Trit Raj Das for just five runs and Mayan Yadav for nine, leaving them at 37/2 early on. Moeen and Saif stepped up to stabilize the innings.
They displayed excellent composure and built a solid partnership. Ripon Mondol claimed the only wicket for Kathmandu but couldn’t disrupt their successful run.
Rahul Yadav Shines with Four Wickets
Kathmandu Gorkhas batted first after winning the toss but struggled to form partnerships, ultimately scoring 115 in 19.3 overs.
Rahul Yadav excelled for Janakpur, taking four wickets for 31 runs in four overs, dismissing both openers Sam Heazlett and Smit Patel, along with captain Karan KC and Adil Alam.
Saif Hassan contributed two wickets, while Moeen Ali, Harmeet Singh (C), and Lalit Rajbanshi each took one.
Kathmandu faced difficulties in setting a competitive total as they consistently lost wickets.
Bhim Sharki Top Scored
Bhim Sharki was the top scorer for Kathmandu with 33 runs off 29 balls, hitting four boundaries.
Rashid Khan added 17 runs, while Smit Patel scored 13 and Sumit Maharjan contributed 10. Captain Karan KC managed only 8 runs as others struggled.
Kathmandu lost their first wicket with Sam Heazlett out for just one run, making it 6/1. Harishankar Shah followed soon after with nine runs, leaving them at 19/2.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.
Janakpur Get Off To Flying Start
Janakpur Bolts secured their first points of the 2026 Nepal Premier League season with an eight-wicket win, rebounding from a previous loss to Karnali Yaks by 19 runs.
In that match, they were bowled out for just 113 while chasing 133. However, they significantly improved their batting performance against Kathmandu, thanks to the partnership between Moeen and Saif.
It was a disappointing start for Kathmandu Gorkhas, who struggled to build partnerships and failed to reach a solid total.
Janakpur aims to maintain their momentum throughout the tournament, while Kathmandu needs to enhance their batting and bowling strategies.