The Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur witnessed a dramatic shift in momentum as the Sudurpaschim Royals pulled off a remarkable comeback to defeat the Kathmandu Gorkhas by 29 runs in their opening match of the NPL 2025. What looked like a one-sided match early on soon turned into a gripping contest, decided by one standout performance that completely changed the game.
Kathmandu Gorkhas, confident after winning their first match, chose to bowl first, The Royals batting line-up collapsed right from the start, with skipper Karan KC delivering a fiery opening spell. His pace and precision left the Royals stunned as he took the key wickets of Josh Brown and Binod Bhandari for ducks. To make things worse for the Royals, Chris Lynn struggled for rhythm and departed after scoring only 2 runs off 10 balls. With the scoreboard reading a disastrous 4 for 3, Sudurpaschim were in deep trouble.
The Royals steadied themselves with a cautious partnership between captain Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh. Airee scored 39 off 30 balls while Aarif contributed 25 from 24 deliveries. Their partnership brought some balance back to the innings, but Kathmandu’s spinners Rashid Khan and Milind Kumar kept the pressure high. Wickets continued to fall at crucial moments, and , the Royals had slipped to 72/6 in 13.2 overs
Everything changed with the arrival of Harmeet Singh at the crease . Harmeet launched a fearless counterattack, smashing the bowlers to all corners of the ground. He hammered 53 runs from just 20 balls, including two fours and an incredible six sixes. His fifty came in only 19 deliveries, a knock that completely flipped the momentum of the match. the Royals managed to post 147 runs before getting bowled out on the final ball of the innings.
Though Karan KC ended with outstanding figures of 4 for 30 and Milind Kumar, Rashid Khan and Sunny Patel took two wickets each,
Chasing 148, the Gorkhas got off to a steady start, but the Royals bowlers stuck to a disciplined plan. . Aakash Tripathi fought hard for his 34 off 30 balls, and John Simpson chipped in with a quick 24, but no strong partnerships developed to anchor the chase.
Harmeet Singh continued his brilliant day with the ball as well. His left-arm spin troubled the Gorkhas, and he picked up two important wickets for just 21 runs in his four overs. Fast bowlers Hemant Dhami and Scott Kuggeleijn also picked up two wickets each, ensuring there was no escape for the Gorkhas.
The Kathmandu innings eventually folded for 118 runs in 16.5 overs, handing the Royals a convincing 29-run win.
NPL SPR vs KMG match summary
Toss: Kathmandu Gorkhas won the toss and Opted to bowl first
Sudur paschim Royals innings: 147/10 in 20 overs
Top performer: Harmeet Singh 53 runs off 20 deliveries, Karan kc 4/30 in 4 overs
Kathmandu Gorkhas innings: 118/10 in 16.5 overs
Top performer: Akash Tripathi 34 runs off 30 balls , Harmeet Singh 2/21 in 4 overs
Result: Sudur paschim Royals won by 29 runs
Player of the match: Harmeet Singh 53 runs off 20 deliveries and 2/21 in 4 overs
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