KATHMANDU, Dec 21: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has congratulated Janakpur Bolts for winning the title of the first edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL).
In the final match held on Saturday at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Bolts defeated Sudurpaschim Royals by 5 wickets to become the first champions.
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Taking to Facebook on Saturday, PM Oli expressed his happiness over this historic victory, stating, "Congratulations to Janakpur Bolts for successfully winning the first title of the NPL. The performance of Sudurpaschim Royals in today's match was also excellent. With this, the grand festival of Nepali cricket has concluded. Thanks to all the teams, organizers, and managers who participated in the NPL."
Bolts achieved the target of 185 runs in 19 overs and 2 balls, losing 5 wickets, to win the title. Their opener, Lahiru Milantha, played a spectacular knock of 87 runs off 49 balls. Captain Ashif Sheikh contributed 33 runs off 19 balls, while Harsh Thaker added 30 runs. Along with the trophy, Janakpur received a prize money of Rs 11.1 million.
Despite an excellent partnership of 117 runs between Royals' openers Binod Bhandari and Saif Zaib, they were forced to lose due to weaknesses in bowling and fielding. Bolts’ Kishore Mahato and Mohammad Mohsin played a key role in controlling Sudurpashchim's total runs, taking 3 wickets each.
PM Oli expressed his belief that such competitions would take Nepali cricket to new heights and also committed to providing continuous support from the government for the development of sports in the future.
