Karnali Yaks pulled off a thrilling three-run victory against the Janakpur Bolts in Match 28 of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025. The match was played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and turned out to be one of the most exciting games of the league stage, both teams were already out of the playoff race, they fought till the very last ball, The win helped the Yaks finish sixth in the points table, while the defending champions, Janakpur Bolts, ended the season at the bottom.
Janakpur Bolts captain Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton won the toss and chose to field first.The Yaks struggled right from the beginning. Their top and middle order could not build strong partnerships because the Bolts kept taking wickets at regular intervals. However, opener Imran Sheikh stood firm and played a steady innings. He made 33 runs off 32 balls and was the top scorer for his team.
Priyank Panchal scored 16 runs, and Gulshan Jha contributed 19, at the end came from Sompal Kami, who played an important cameo. He scored an unbeaten 18 runs from just 11 balls, hitting a few crucial boundaries that helped the Yaks reach a fighting total of 129 runs for 9 wickets in their 20 overs.
Lalit Rajbanshi and Aaditya Mahata were the best performers, picking up two wickets each. Sangeeth Cooray, Anil Sah, and Maaz Sadaqat also took one wicket each.
Chasing a target of 130, the Janakpur Bolts needed a strong start. But things went terribly wrong for them. Aasif Sheikh was dismissed for a duck, and Anil Sah also fell without scoring. Maaz Sadaqat (12) and Mayan Yadav (9) also failed to settle at the crease. the Bolts were struggling at 29 for 4, Karnali yaks putting them under huge pressure.
However ,when it looked like the match was slipping away, the Bolts found hope through a brilliant 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket. The partnership was between Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Sangeeth Cooray. Krishnamurthi played an excellent attacking innings, scoring 51 runs from 39 balls. His innings included one four and four sixes, and he kept the Bolts alive in the chase. Cooray supported him with a patient 25 runs off 32 balls, rotating the strike and staying calm,Their partnership brought the Bolts very close to the target.
At the start of the final over, Janakpur needed 14 runs to win. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton was at the crease, Loftie-Eaton tried hard to take his team over the line. He hit a boundary on the fifth ball of the over, reducing the equation to 5 runs needed off the last balls. Bolts managed only single runs and fall short by just three runs . Loftie Eaton unbeaten on 13 runs off 9 deliveries.
William Bosisto delivered the best spell of the match, took 2 wickets for 18 runs in 4 overs, while Pawan Sarraf, Sompal kami, Mark Watt and Nandan yadav chipped with one wicket each.
NPL, Karnali yaks vs Janakpur Bolts match summary
Toss : Janakpur Bolts won the toss and Opted to bowl first
Karnali yaks innings : 129/9 in 20 overs
Top scorer : Imran Sheikh 33 runs off 32 deliveries, Gulshan Jha 19 runs off 20 balls
Top Bowler : Lalit Rajbanshi 2/16 in 3 overs, Aaditya Mahata 2/9 in 1 overs
Janakpur Bolts innings : 126/7 in 20 overs
Top scorer : Sanjay Krishnamurthi 51 runs off 39 deliveries, Sangeeth Cooray 25 runs off 32 balls
Top Bowler : William Bosisto 2/18 in 4 overs, Mark Watt 1/9 and one maiden in 4 overs
Result : Karnali yaks won by 3 runs
Player of the match : William Bosisto 2/18 and 15 runs off 12 deliveries