DHANGADHI, April 14: Team Chauraha Dhangadhi has retained the Dhangadhi Premier League title as the defending champion defeated Kathmandu Goldens by 21 runs in the final of the second edition of the tournament on Friday. Chauraha had defeated Biratnagar Kings by 62 runs last year to lift its first trophy. 

The match saw three incredible batting displays by Chauraha duo Sunil Dhamala and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recruit Rohan Mustafa and Kathmandu Goldens opener Amit Shrestha as they all scored half-centuries, but the former were the happy ones as they lift the title. 

Chauraha, who won the toss and elected to bat first, presented a target of 182 runs for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 20 overs in the match played at the Seti Zone Police Cricket Ground, in the far-western town Dhangadhi. In reply, Kathmandu failed to chase the target and was limited to 160 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 20 overs. 

Chauraha opener Dhamala scored the highest 78 runs off 63 balls which included three sixes and eight fours in the match, while Mustafa hit 60 runs off 42 balls including four sixes and four boundaries. The other batsmen could not do much with their bat as captain Sompal Kami made eight runs off four deliveries with a four, while the other opener Ashfaq Ahmed added four runs off seven balls. Sonu Tamang and Rajesh Pulami Magar were out for ducks. 

Only two bowlers managed to take at least a wicket for Kathmandu. Indian recruit Suboth Bhati picked up two wickets giving away 17 runs in the four overs he bowled, while Sunny Patel nicked a wicket giving away 27 runs in the four overs he bowled. Rashid Khan proved costly as he conceded 42 runs in four overs without getting a single wicket. 

In reply, Kathmandu’s Shrestha was the standout player for the losing team, but his heroics could not quite work to get a win. Shrestha scored 58 off 39 balls including three sixes and seven fours.
Kathmandu skipper Gyanendra Malla became the highest run scorer of the tournament with a total of 248 runs in the eight matches he played as he hit 30 runs off 27 balls including two sixes and a four against Chauraha. Patel hit 22 runs off 12 balls which included two sixes and a boundary, while Naresh Budayair scored 19 off 17 balls with a four. Pushpa Thapa added 15 runs off 10 balls including three boundaries, while Suboth Bhati was out for five, Rashid Khan and Santosh Bhatta made two runs each, Lalit Rajbanshi added a run, while Bhupendra Thapa was run out for a duck. 

Lalit Bhandari became the highest wicket taker with 14 wickets in seven matches he contested in and was the pick of the Chauraha bowlers as he pocketed three wickets in the game. He gave away 22 runs in the four overs he bowled with an economy of 5.50. Likewise, Mustafa picked up two wickets, but gave away 46 runs in four overs and had a disastrous economy of 11.50. Also, Samsad Sheikh and Yogendra Singh Karki nicked a wicket each for the losing side. 
Mustafa was named the man-of-the-match and was rewarded with Rs 10,000. 

The winner of the tournament took home Rs 2.5 million with the title win, while the runner-up Kathmandu was rewarded with Rs 1 million. Likewise, the third-placed Mahendranagar United was prized with Rs 300,000 and the fourth-placed CYC Attariya was handed over Rs 200,000. 

The six-team tournament started on March 31 and was played in single round robin league format. 
Chauraha’s Lalit Bhandari was adjudged the most valuable player of the tournament and got GoldStar’s Golden Shoe, while Chauraha’s Mustafa was declared the player of the tournament and received a 200 CC Bajaj motorcycle. 
 

 
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