The star-studded Karnali Yaks registered their first win in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) season, defeating Chitwan Rhinos by six wickets in a thrilling encounter on Friday.
After losing their first two matches while defending totals, Karnali decided to chase upon winning the toss for the second time in three games. The decision proved fruitful as skipper Sompal Kami struck early, dismissing Luc Benkenstein for a duck in the opening over. Karnali’s bowlers continued to dominate, sending Deepak Bohara (8) and wicketkeeper Bipin Rawal (11) back cheaply, leaving Chitwan reeling at 22/3 in 5.1 overs.
Chitwan’s skipper Kushal Malla (23) joined Ravi Bopara to stabilize the innings, forging a crucial 60-run partnership that took the Rhinos to 82/4 by the 14th over. However, their acceleration was stifled in the final stages, thanks to exceptional spells by Bipin Sharma (4-0-21-3) and Zeeshan Maqsood (4-0-22-2), who kept things tight. Despite Bopara’s valiant unbeaten knock of 59 (his second fifty of the tournament), Chitwan Rhinos managed only 130/7. It was the second-lowest total for a team batting a full 20 overs in this NPL season.
In pursuit of 131, the Yaks began cautiously but gained momentum as Shikhar Dhawan teed off. Opener Dev Khanal, who had struggled in the tournament so far with scores of 0 and 1, finally found some form, contributing a sedate 25 off 34 balls. Karnali reached 32/0 during the powerplay—their second powerplay without losing a wicket this season.
The 53-run opening stand was broken when Malla trapped Khanal lbw. Dhawan (45 off 40) and Walton (30 off 19) then combined for a 51-run partnership, which brought the Yaks closer to the target. However, back-to-back dismissals of Dhawan and Walton created a brief moment of tension.
Sohail Tanvir kept Chitwan’s hopes alive by conceding just two runs in the penultimate over, but the Rhinos paid the price for sloppy fielding in the final over. Arjun Gharti (11) and Maqsood (12*) held their nerve, running three doubles before Maqsood sealed the win with a boundary.
With this victory, Karnali Yaks jumped three places to fourth in the table. They face the Biratnagar Kings in their next match on Saturday.
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