Kathmandu, Nov. 28 -- The TU International Cricket Stadium is filled with excitement every time the team's anthem is played, whether after taking wickets or scoring boundaries.
"Field storm, Sudur's honor (storm on the field, Sudur's pride)" - this line has consistently been a staple at the stadium whenever the far-western team plays, supported by what is likely the loudest and most devoted fans in the Nepal Premier League. The cricket-enthusiastic Sudur supporters had multiple opportunities to celebrate on Thursday afternoon when the Royals faced the Lumbini Lions, putting their winning streak to the test.
The Royals, who finished as runners-up in the first season, were tied with the eastern team, the Biratnagar Kings, until Wednesday. Nevertheless, the Kings suffered their first loss of the season when they were defeated by the Chitwan Rhinos with a margin of 48 runs, ending their three-game winning streak.
However, the Royals remained the sole unbeaten team of the season, securing a seven-wicket victory over the Lions on Thursday, thanks to Binod Bhandari's match-winning innings of 69 runs from 49 balls. Although Harmeet Singh (7 off 3) finished the chase for Sudurpaschim in 18.2 overs, Sudur's opening batsman and wicketkeeper, Bhandari, stayed at the crease until he secured the team's fourth win of the tournament.
Securing the toss for the first time in four games, captain Dipendra Singh Airee asked the Lions to face the Royals' bowling lineup. This marked the first instance this season that the Royals bowled first, and they made the most of the opportunity.
The Lions were performing well until the end of the 14th over. They had lost their two openers—D'Arcy Short (18 from 11 balls) and Sumit Maharjan (18 from 14 balls)—and the team's total reached three figures thanks to a 50+ partnership for the third wicket between captain Rohit Kumar Paudel and wicketkeeper-batsman Dilip Nath. However, as the first ball of the 15th over was delivered by Hemant Dhami, Paudel attempted an unusual shot behind the stumps but was caught by Bhandari after scoring 35 from 36 balls. Gulbadin Naib (11 from 9 balls) was next to fall, also caught by wicketkeeper Bhandari. After Ruben Trumplemann was dismissed without scoring, run out by Airee's direct throw, Nath (31 from 29 balls) was also caught behind.
The final five players from Lumbini managed to score just 23 runs with their bats before the team was all out for a total of 143 runs, with two balls left in the first innings.
Abinash Bohara and Singh each took three wickets for the Royals, while Dhami claimed two and Scott Kuggeleijn recorded one.
In response, Sudurpaschim needed just five batters to finish the chase. Abhishesh Gautam provided the Lions with an early breakthrough as Royals' opener Josh Brown (9 from 7) was caught in the second over, along with experienced player Chris Lynn (16 from 14) and Aarif Sheikh (39 from 37), who also got out after being caught. However, as Bhandari remained at the crease, benefiting from some fortunate drops in catches, the scoreboard continued to move, ensuring the Royals were never out of the game.
Binod was unhappy even after a strong performance
Binod Bhandari is a well-known figure in Nepali cricket, having participated in the sport for over ten years. He was part of the senior team when Nepal competed in their first T20 World Cup in 2014, marking the Rhinos' shortest-format match as an official T20I for the first time.
From the first match of the 2014 World Cup, which took place against Hong Kong on March 16, to their final T20I, which was against Samoa in the Asia & EAP Qualifier for the 2026 T20 World Cup on October 17 this year, Nepal has participated in 112 T20Is. Bhandari has been involved in 40 of these matches, with his most recent appearance coming against Papua New Guinea during a tri-nation friendly hosted by Hong Kong in March of last year. However, he was not included in the squad when the Rhinos competed in their second-ever T20 World Cup in June 2024, following a ten-year gap.
Therefore, when Bhandari, who had come as Janakpur's representative to address media questions during the post-match press conference following the victory against Lumbini, was questioned about whether he viewed the NPL as the selection platform for the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka starting in February next year, the 35-year-old responded, "Who said that?"
None of the top five hitters from the 2025 Men's PM Cup in March have been selected for the senior team," Bhandari expressed sadness. "Although I had a positive experience in the recent PM Cups and the first NPL last year, I wasn't even invited to the closed camp. That's why I don't believe this NPL serves as a foundation for choosing the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Among the top six batsmen who scored the most runs in the first season of the NPL, only two were Nepalis. The national team captain, Paudel, ranked third with 279 runs across seven innings, while Bhandari came in sixth with 235 runs in nine innings. Bhandari was the third-highest run-scorer in the 2024 Men's PM Cup. Recently, he is fourth in the list of top run-scorers in the second season of the NPL as well as across both seasons combined.
Third defeat for the Bolts, first victory for the Avengers
Apart from their competition on the field, Janakpur Bolts and Pokhara Avengers were supporting their individual social initiatives on Thursday. According to a joint press conference held on Wednesday, the Bolts were making extra efforts to recognize the contributions of mothers, while the Avengers were boosting their 'Glaciers Matter' campaign during their match on Thursday.
The players from Janakpur wore unique pink jerseys featuring their mothers' names on the back, whereas the Avengers sported green jerseys with "Glaciers Matter" instead of their names for their game. Despite being opponents on the field, both teams were competing in their third match of the season, each seeking their first victory.
Janakpur, having won the first edition of the NPL, were seen as strong contenders for the second season. Nevertheless, the team that defended the title has now reached a low point following their third consecutive loss of the season on Thursday. Pokhara secured their third victory over Janakpur, beating the defending champions by 25 runs.
The Avengers were the first team of the season to win the toss and choose to bat first, a move that might have been disadvantageous as the bowlers faced difficulties in the later stages because of the dew. Nevertheless, the choice worked in their favor.
Pokhara had a solid start while batting first. They performed well during the powerplay and remained without losing any wickets, reaching 40 runs. Up until the end of the eighth over, their score was 59/0.
However, when Sanjay Krishnamurthi from the USA began his first spell of the match in the ninth over, he became a nightmare for Pokhara. Krishnamurthi dismissed Adam Rossington (24 off 17) with the third ball of the over, and then clean-bowled Pokhara's captain Kushal Bhurtel for a golden duck on the very next delivery. The Avengers quickly fell to 64/4 as Dinesh Kharel (38 off 38) and James Neesham (1 off 3) were sent back to the pavilion shortly after. Neesham was Krishnamurthi's third wicket of the match.
A 72-run partnership between Sumeet Verma and Trit Raj Das at the fifth wicket helped Pokhara find their rhythm. After Das was dismissed for 29 off 28 balls in the 18.4th over, Pokhara were at 136/5. Verma, however, reached his half-century in just 29 balls and remained not out, guiding the team to a manageable total of 155/6.
Thousands of Janakpur supporters, who were facing off against thousands of Sudurpaschim fans that stayed up late to support their main rivals' opponent, were eager to witness their team secure their first victory, as the target wasn't high. However, this did not happen.
Janakpur had eight of their batsmen dismissed before reaching 100 runs. Maaz Sadaqat, making his NPL debut (20 from 14 balls), and Krishnamurthi (25 from 20 balls) were the only two among the top seven batters from Janakpur to score in double figures. Wayne Parnell, another NPL debutant and an experienced left-arm fast bowler, helped keep the Bolts in contention with his batting.
However, Parnell exited the field after achieving his first fifty, even though he had a leg injury that occurred when he was on 48, and the Bolts' chances were ruined. The Bolts, who lost a few players due to impressive catches by the Avengers, batted all 20 overs but fell 25 runs short.
"After experiencing several defeats, our team's mindset has been affected," said Anil Kumar Sah, the captain of Janakpur, following the loss.
Bipin Khatri took four wickets for the Avengers, while Bhurtel and Neesham each claimed one. Verma, a all-rounder from Uganda who batted well, also took two wickets and was named Player of the Match.
The Chitwan Rhinos and Kathmandu Gorkhas, currently ranked third and fourth in the standings, will meet in the opening game on Friday. This will be followed by a match between the Biratnagar Kings and the Karnali Yaks.
(zaianews.com)