Biratnagar Super Kings defeated Kathmandu Knights by 99 runs in the eliminator match of Nepal T20 League and secured a place in the second qualifier. Biratnagar will play Janakpur Royals in the second qualifier on Tuesday to reach the final.
Chasing a winning target of 183 runs for victory, Kathmandu was all out for 83 runs in 12.4 overs. Abhinash Bohra scored 16 runs in 4 balls with 1 four and 2 sixes. Kamalsingh Airey got out for 10 runs in 10 balls with 1 four and 1 six.
Captain Gyanendra Malla scored 15 runs in 12 balls with 1 four and 1 six. Lokesh Bam got out for 13 runs with 2 fours off 13 balls. No other batter could score runs in double figures.
Santosh Karki 8, Basir Ahmed 5, Sandeep Razali and Sunam Gautam were out for 4 runs each. Surya Tamang of Biratnagar took 4 wickets with 14 runs in 2.4 overs. Sahab Alam took 2 wickets for 21 runs in 3 overs. Keon Joseph took 2 wickets for 10 runs in 2 overs. Hussain Talat took one wicket.
Before that, Biratnagar won the toss and was invited to bat first. They scored 182 runs losing 6 wickets in the scheduled 20 overs. Biratnagar captain Rohit Paudel was dismissed for 61 runs off 49 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes. This is Rohit’s fourth fifty in the Nepal T20 League. Rohit took an edge from the spinner Anil Kharel and was caught out by Sourav Khanal at fine leg.
Along with this, Rohit has risen to the second position among the batsmen who scored the most runs. While Rohit scored 347 runs, Far West United’s Hashmatullah Shahidi is at the top with 400 runs. Vivek Yadav remained unbeaten on 46 runs off 18 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes. In the first four balls of the last over, Vivek hit Kamalsingh Airi for two fours and two sixes, setting the foundation for a good total.
Biratnagar got off to a poor start 5-2 after opener Gauranshu Sharma was dismissed for one run and Arjun Saud for two runs. Rohit and Hussain Talat shared a partnership of 98 runs for the third wicket. Talat was dismissed for 38 runs off 23 balls with 1 four and 3 sixes. He was caught out by Saurabh Khanal at slip off Talat Kharel.
While Prithu Banskota was dismissed for one run, Raj Nannan remained unbeaten on 23 runs with 1 four and 1 six off 17 balls. Anil Kharel of Kathmandu spent 37 runs in 4 overs and took 2 wickets. Gautam KC took 1 wicket for 20 runs in 4 overs. Kamalsingh Airey and Abhinash Bohra took one wicket each.
In the first match, Lumbini All Stars defeated Janakpur by 6 runs and qualified for the final. The final will be held on Wednesday.
