Janakpur Bolts secured their second victory in the 2026 Nepal Premier League (NPL), edging Pokhara Avengers by nine runs in a close contest at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Sunday.
Chasing 148, Pokhara were restricted to 138 in their 20 overs. Despite a determined effort from captain Kushal Bhurtel, they could not mount a successful challenge.
Janakpur have now won two of their three matches, while Pokhara have lost two in a row.
Trit Raj Das leads with a half century
After winning the toss and choosing to field, Pokhara watched Janakpur Bolts reach 147/7 in 20 overs.
Trit Raj Das top scored for Janakpur, making 61 from 61 deliveries, with seven fours and two sixes.
He added 47 runs with England all rounder Moeen Ali, who contributed 21 off 16 balls, including three fours and a six.
Janakpur lost momentum after Moeen’s dismissal. Saif Hassan managed one run, while Harmeet Singh and wicketkeeper Anil Sah scored nine apiece.
New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham added 11, and Abhishek Tiwari’s unbeaten 24 from just 10 balls lifted Janakpur to a competitive total.
Tiwari provides an attacking finish
Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan was Pokhara’s leading bowler, claiming three wickets for 15 runs in his four overs.
Chamika Karunaratne took two wickets, while Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin claimed one each.
Even so, Pokhara’s bowling attack was unable to prevent Janakpur from posting 147.
Bhurtel unable to take Pokhara over the line
Pokhara began their chase but failed to put together substantial partnerships.
Captain Kushal Bhurtel battled hard, scoring 35 from 24 balls with five fours. However, Pokhara continued to lose wickets at crucial moments.
Bipin Acharya made 20, while Bipin Khatri remained unbeaten on 17. Kiran Thagunna struck 15 from only five deliveries.
Shakib Al Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Arjun Gharti and Chamika Karunaratne made little impact with the bat.
Pokhara were eventually bowled out for 138/9.
Moeen Ali claims three wickets
Moeen Ali made an important contribution with the ball after scoring 21 runs earlier in the match.
He finished with three wickets for 13 runs from four overs, including a maiden, putting the pressure on Pokhara’s batters.
Harmeet Singh, the captain, and Saif Hassan took two wickets each. Jimmy Neesham and Lalit Rajbanshi claimed one apiece.
Janakpur’s disciplined bowling prevented Pokhara from reaching the target.
Janakpur bounce back
The victory is an important result for Janakpur Bolts, who opened their campaign with a defeat to Karnali Yaks before responding with an eight-wicket win against Kathmandu Gorkhas.
They have now recorded two wins from three matches in the NPL’s third edition.
Pokhara Avengers, meanwhile, have lost their first two games. After their opening defeat to Sudurpaschim Royals, they will need to improve with the bat to get their campaign back on track.