Nepal Premier League 2025-26 • 21 Nov 2025 • Venue: Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur
Match Details
- Match No.: 6 of the season.
- Toss: Pokhara Avengers won the toss and elected to bowl first.
- Format: Twenty20 (20 overs per side)
- Final Result: Sudur Paschim Royals won by 18 runs.
Pokhara Avengers Squad:
Kushal Bhurtel (c), Aakash Chand, Sandeep Chhetri, Trit Raj Das, Sagar Dhakal, Dinesh Kharel, Bipin Khatri, Arjun Kumal, Krishna Poudel, Raymon Reifer, Adam Rossington (wk), Kiran Kumar Thagunna, Abhisekh Tiwari.-
–Sudur Paschim Royals Squad:
Dipendra Singh Airee (c), Binod Bhandari (wk), Abinash Bohara, Dipak Bohara, Milan Bohara, Hemant Dhami, Ishan Pandey, Naren Saud, Tek Rawat, Josh Brown, Chris Lynn.
Innings Breakdown
First innings – Royals bat first
- Royals scored 193/7 in their 20 overs.
- Some key batting:
- Josh Brown: 68 off 35 balls (6×4, 5×6) at strike ~194.
- Binod Bhandari: 43 off 42 balls (6×4) at strike ~102.
- Chris Lynn: 31 off 13 balls (4×4, 2×6) at strike ~238.
- Extras: 14 (4 byes, 8 wides, 2 no balls)
- Notable bowling from Avengers:
- JDS Neesham: 4 overs, 3 wickets, 47 runs.
- DA Douthwaite: 4 overs, 2 wickets, 24 runs.
Second innings – Avengers chase
- Avengers finished at 175/8 in 20 overs, falling short by 18 runs.
- Some key points:
- Kushal Bhurtel: 53 off 32 balls (4×4, 4×6) at strike ~166.
- Jimmy Neesham: 47 off 25 balls (2×4, 5×6) at strike ~188.
- Royals’ bowlers who made the difference:
- Harmeet Singh: 4 overs, 2 wickets, 22 runs (econ 5.5)
- Abinash Bohara: 4 overs, 1 wicket, 32 runs (econ 8.0)
Key Moments & Turning Points
- The opening stand for Royals was explosive: they reached 50 in just 4.2 overs.
- The partnership between Brown & Bhandari built a strong platform, reaching 100 in about 61 balls.
- In the chase, Avengers lost early wickets (28/3 in 7 overs) which put them under pressure.
- Although Bhurtel and Neesham counter-attacked, the required run‐rate climbed too high for Avengers to comfortably reach.
- Royals’ death bowling held up well enough to defend the 193 target, despite the high asking rate.
ScoreCard and Stats
Batsmen:
- Josh Brown: 68 (35) (6 ×4, 5 ×6)
- Binod Bhandari (†): 43 (42) (6 ×4)
- CA Lynn: 31 (13) (4 ×4, 2 ×6)
- Dipendra Singh Airee (c): 15 (10) (1 ×4, 1 ×6)
- Harmeet Singh: 4 (6) (1 ×4)
- SC Kuggeleijn: 8 (6) (0 ×4, 1 ×6)
- Aarif Sheikh: 0 (3)
- Ishan Pandey: 6 (6) not out
- Naren Saud: 4 (1) not out
Extras: 14 (b 4, nb 2, w 8)
Total: 193/7 (20 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-108, 2-142, 3-164, 4-170, 5-176, 6-182, 7-189
Pokhara Avengers bowling:
- Aakash Chand: 4-0-44-2
- Bipin Khatri: 3-0-23-0
- Sagar Dhakal: 4-0-41-0
- DA Douthwaite: 4-0-24-2
- K Bhurtel: 1-0-10-0
- JDS Neesham: 4-0-47-3
Innings – Pokhara Avengers (chasing)
Batsmen:
- Dinesh Kharel: 6 (9) (1 ×4)
- Adam Rossington (†): 1 (2)
- Kushal Bhurtel (c): 53 (32) (4 ×4, 4 ×6)
- Kiran Thagunna: 9 (8)
- JDS Neesham: 47 (25) (2 ×4, 5 ×6)
- Sumeet Verma: 6 (7)
- Abhisekh Tiwari: 3 (13)
- DA Douthwaite: 37 (16) (1 ×4, 5 ×6)
- Bipin Khatri: 7 (7) not out
- Aakash Chand: 1 (1) not out
Extras: 5 (lb 1, w 4)
Total: 175/8 (20 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-8, 3-20, 4-95, 5-113, 6-126, 7-134, 8-174
Sudur Paschim Royals bowling:
- Harmeet Singh: 4-0-22-2
- SC Kuggeleijn: 4-0-33-1
- Dipendra Singh Airee: 3-0-29-1
- Hemant Dhami: 3-0-30-1
- Ishan Pandey: 1-0-19-0
- Abinash Bohara: 4-0-32-1
- Naren Saud: 1-0-9-1
Player of the Match: Josh Brown
What This Result Means
- For the Royals: A statement win. Posting close to 200 in T20 is strong; defending it showed balance across batting and bowling. They now sit at the top of the table (with 4 points) after two wins.
- For the Avengers: The chase showed promise — two strong knocks with the bat — but the early collapse and inability to sustain the chase cost them. They’ll have to work on start momentum and finishing.
- From a league-perspective: A high total (193) and a close chase (albeit falling short) make for a compelling contest — good for spectator interest and the growth of the Nepal Premier League.
Final Thought
In this 6th fixture of the season, the Sudur Paschim Royals set the tone with a blistering start, capitalised on it and held firm under the chase from the Pokhara Avengers. The margin may seem moderate – 18 runs – but the pressure they applied was real. For the Avengers, the talent is evident, but the execution under the high target needs sharpening.
This was exactly the kind of game that keeps fans on the edge of their seats and builds momentum for the tournament.
Here are the match start timings in Nepal Standard Time (NST) for the upcoming Pokhara Avengers games in the Nepal Premier League 2025:
- vs Janakpur Bolts on 27 Nov at 16:00 NST.
- vs Lumbini Lions on 29 Nov at 11:15 NST.
- vs Karnali Yaks on 2 Dec at 10:15 NST.
- vs Kathmandu Gorkhas on 4 Dec at 18:00 NST.
