Sudurpaschim Royals secured their second victory in NPL 2026 by defeating Chitwan Rhinos by five wickets in a league match at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
Chasing a target of 130, Sudurpaschim scored 131/5 in 16.4 overs, winning with 20 balls to spare.
This win brings Sudurpaschim to four points from four matches, while Chitwan experiences their first loss of the tournament, remaining at three points from three games.
Brandon McMullen Shines in Run Chase
Brandon McMullen delivered an impressive performance, scoring 43 runs off 21 balls with six fours and two sixes.
Ishan Pandey contributed 25 runs off 29 balls with two fours, while Sherfane Rutherford finished not out with 21 runs off 15 balls. Arif Sheikh also played a crucial role, remaining not out with 20 runs off 26 balls.
Sudurpaschim faced an early challenge, losing their first wicket at just 3 runs. However, McMullen partnered well with Binod Bhandari and Ishan Pandey.
Bhandari scored 11 runs before getting out, while McMullen and Pandey added 36 runs for the third wicket.
After losing McMullen and captain Dipendra Singh Airee, Sudurpaschim found themselves at 70/4. Pandey and Sheikh then added 33 runs for the fifth wicket. Following Pandey’s dismissal, Rutherford and Sheikh guided the team to victory.
For Chitwan, Ranjit Kumar was the standout bowler, taking three wickets for 28 runs in four overs. Rijan Dhakal and Mausam Dhakal each claimed one wicket.
Ravi Bopara Falls Short of Half-Century
Previously, Chitwan Rhinos posted a score of 129/6 in their 20 overs.
Ravi Bopara was the highlight for his team, scoring 49 runs off 40 balls with three fours and two sixes, just missing a half-century with an aggressive shot.
He formed crucial partnerships with Dawid Malan and captain Sikandar Raza after losing the first two wickets for 27 runs.
Malan added 16 runs, while Raza and Arjun Saud contributed 15 runs each. Vivek Kumar Yadav scored 17 runs from 15 balls but was run out on the last ball. Tom Taylor remained not out with six runs.
Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets, while Hemant Dhami, captain Dipendra Singh Airee, and Anil Kharel each took one wicket.
Chitwan Suffers First Loss
This marks Chitwan’s first loss of the tournament. After winning their opening match against Biratnagar Kings, they shared points with Lumbini Lions in their second match, which was abandoned due to rain.
Chitwan now has three points from three games.
Sudurpaschim has bounced back from their initial defeat to defending champions Lumbini Lions, achieving their second win of the season.
Lumbini Lions remain the only unbeaten team in the third edition of the Nepal Premier League following Chitwan’s loss.
This victory gives Sudurpaschim valuable momentum as they aim for playoff spots in the tournament.