By Sachit Subba • Cricket • Nov 22, 2025 14:54 PM • 19 views
KATHMANDU — The Biratnagar Kings continued their impressive run in the second season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) Season 2, securing a comfortable five-wicket victory over the Kathmandu Gurkhas on Saturday. While the Kings celebrated their second consecutive win to move to four points, the Gurkhas were left to rue a catastrophic top-order collapse that condemned them to their second defeat in three matches.
The Chase: Munsey and Guptill Set the Tone
Chasing a modest target of 135, Biratnagar wasted no time in asserting dominance. Despite losing opener Lokesh Bam (14) in the third over—caught by Santosh Yadav off Karan KC—the Kings' intent was clear. George Munsey and Martin Guptill effectively killed the contest in the power play. The pair stitched together a rapid 53-run partnership for the second wicket, with Munsey playing the aggressor. The Scottish international blazed his way to 36 off just 16 balls, punishing the bowlers with five boundaries and two sixes before being trapped LBW by Shahab Alam. By the time Munsey departed, the Kings were cruising, needing just 60 runs from 77 balls. Although Kathmandu's Shahab Alam bowled a disciplined spell (2/19) to remove Guptill (25 off 19) and momentarily check the scoring rate, the result was never in doubt. Middle-order contributions from Naren (24) and Basir Ahmed (19) chipped away at the target. It was fittingly left to captain Sandeep Lamichhane (9*) and Shubham (6*) to cross the finish line in 17.1 overs, sealing the win with plenty of fuel left in the tank.
First Innings: De Lange Wrecks Kathmandu's Top Order
Earlier, Biratnagar won the toss and elected to field—a decision vindicated almost immediately by Marchant de Lange. The Kathmandu Gurkhas endured a nightmare start, crumbling to 22/3 inside the powerplay. De Lange struck in the first over, removing Akash Tripathi for a duck. The pressure resulted in a run-out for Ricardo Vasconcelos (3), followed quickly by Pratik Shrestha (3) falling to De Lange's pace. When Gerhard Erasmus was caught and bowled by Surya Tamang for 10, the Gurkhas were reeling at 29/4. They crawled to just 42 runs at the halfway mark (10 overs), struggling to find any rhythm against a disciplined Kings attack. Ben Charlesworth tried to rebuild with a steady 32 off 33 balls, but wickets continued to tumble. It took a late, luck-filled assault from Mohammad Adil Alam to drag Kathmandu to a defendable total. Dropped twice by Biratnagar fielders, Adil made them pay, smashing an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes). His cameo lifted the side to 134/6, but it ultimately proved insufficient on a good batting surface.
The Standings
With this victory, Biratnagar Kings maintain a perfect record, sitting comfortably with 4 points from two games. Kathmandu Gurkhas, who started the tournament with a win over defending champions Janakpur but lost to Sudurpaschim Royals, remain stuck on 2 points from three outings. In the day's earlier fixture, the Karnali Yaks decimated the Lumbini Lions by 9 wickets. Schedule Update: There are no NPL fixtures scheduled for Sunday. The action resumes on Monday with a double-header:
Janakpur Bolts vs. Biratnagar Kings
Sudurpaschim Royals vs. Karnali Yaks
