KATHMANDU, Nov 29: Unbeaten Sudurpaschim Royals secured a place in the playoffs of the second edition of the Nepal Premier League with two matches to spare after registering their fifth consecutive victory on Saturday.
Sudurpaschim defeated defending champions Janakpur Bolts by six wickets at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground to confirm their playoff berth.
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Chasing a target of 146 runs, Sudurpaschim completed the task in 17.4 overs, losing four wickets in the process. After suffering a brief setback by losing two wickets for a single run, Ishan Pandey and Binod Bhandari steadied the chase with a 92-run partnership. Pandey scored 56 runs, while Bhandari contributed 42 runs.
For Janakpur, Maaz Sadaqat took two wickets, while Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Aditya Mahata claimed one wicket apiece.
Earlier, Janakpur won the toss and opted to bat first, posting 145 runs for eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Sanjay Krishnamurthi top-scored with 50 runs, while Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton added 39 runs. For Sudurpaschim, Abinash Bohara picked up four wickets, while Scott Kuggeleijn took three wickets.
With the win, Sudurpaschim moved to the top of the points table with 10 points from five matches. It was Janakpur’s fourth consecutive loss, leaving the winless side at the bottom of the table with only a mathematical chance of reaching the playoffs.
