KATHMANDU, Nov 3: Biratnagar Kings defeated Janakpur Bolts by two runs in a thrilling Nepal Premier League (NPL) match at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Tuesday.
Chasing a target of 175, Janakpur managed 172 for seven in their 20 overs, falling short in a match that went down to the final ball.
West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell starred with both bat and ball, scoring an unbeaten 52 and taking four wickets, including two in the final over.
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Batting first, Biratnagar posted 174 for three. After opener Shehan Jayasuriya was stumped for one in the first over, Lokesh Bam and Imran Sheikh steadied the innings with a 100-run partnership for the second wicket.
Imran top-scored with 56 off 45 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes, while Lokesh made 50 off 40 balls, including three fours and three sixes. Russell then struck an unbeaten 52 off 29 balls, hitting five sixes and two fours. Shubham Ranjane remained not out on seven.
For Janakpur, Abhishek Tiwari took two wickets, while Moeen Ali claimed one.
Janakpur made a poor start to their chase, losing three wickets for 30 runs inside five overs. Trit Raj Das scored six, Moeen Ali made 10, and Anil Sah was dismissed for a duck.
Saif Hassan and Vishal Sushling revived the chase with a strong partnership. Saif scored 71 off 48 balls, including five sixes and two fours, while Vishal contributed 43 off 30 balls, with three sixes and two fours.
James Neesham added 27 off 15 balls, including three sixes, to keep Janakpur in contention. However, Rupesh Singh dismissed him on the final ball of the 19th over.
With Janakpur needing runs in the final over, Russell dismissed captain Harmeet Singh for a duck before removing the well-set Saif off the last ball to seal Biratnagar’s two-run victory.
Russell finished with four wickets for 45 runs in four overs. Angelo Mathews took two wickets for 25 runs in three overs, while Rupesh claimed one wicket. Biratnagar captain Sandeep Lamichhane conceded 27 runs in four overs but went wicketless.
