Sandeep Lamichhane Leads Biratnagar Kings to 9-Run Win Over Janakpur Bolts

In an NPL thriller, Biratnagar Kings defended 136 runs to defeat defending champions Janakpur Bolts by 9 runs, with captain Sandeep Lamichhane taking 4 wickets.

Biratnagar Kings secured a sensational 9-run victory over defending champions Janakpur Bolts in the Nepal Premier League (NPL), thanks to a lethal bowling performance by captain Sandeep Lamichhane.

Chasing a target of 136 runs set by Biratnagar, Janakpur could manage only 126 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Nicolas Loftie-Eaton was the top scorer for Janakpur with 41 runs, while Lahiru Milantha contributed 23, Sanjay Krishnamurthy 20, Asif Sheikh 13, captain Anil Kumar Sah 4, and Mayan Yadav 4 runs.

Sandeep Lamichhane was the star with the ball, taking 4 wickets for just 11 runs in 4 overs. Additional wickets for Biratnagar came from Surya Tamang (2), Marchant de Lange (1), and Shubham Ranjane (1).

Earlier, Biratnagar Kings batted first and posted 135 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs. Shubham Ranjane top-scored with 37 runs, followed closely by Basir Ahmed with 36 and opener Lokesh Bam with 28. Martin Guptill contributed 13 runs, George Munsey 10, and Narayan Joshi 2 runs.

For Janakpur Bolts, Sangith Kure and Rupesh Singh took 2 wickets each, while Aditya Mehta claimed 1 wicket.