Sudurpaschim Royals have reached Qualifier 1 of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) cricket for the second consecutive year. Sudurpaschim continued their 100 percent winning streak by defeating Chitwan Rhinos by 49 runs in the second match on Thursday.

Sudurpaschim has moved closer to the finals by winning 6 games. With the team's victory, Biratnagar Kings have also secured a place in the playoffs. Sudurpaschim has 12 points, Kathmandu Gorkhas has 10 and Biratnagar has 8 points. Kathmandu and Biratnagar have reached the playoffs for the first time. 

One of Kathmandu and Biratnagar will compete with Sudurpaschim in Qualifier 1 to enter the finals. Only if Biratnagar defeats Sudurpaschim by a large margin in the match to be played on Saturday will it have a chance of surpassing Kathmandu in net run rate. If Lumbini Lions defeat Janakpur Bolts in the match to be played on Friday, they will reach the playoffs as the fourth team. Otherwise, one of Lumbini, Janakpur, Chitwan and Pokhara Avengers will have a chance of reaching the playoffs. 

Chitwan, who was set a target of 170 runs, was all out for 120 runs in 17.1 overs at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur. Veteran Ravi Bopara scored the highest for Chitwan with 29 runs.

He hit 1 four and 2 sixes in 23 balls. Dev Khanal scored 28 with 3 fours, Arjun Saud 16, captain Kushal Malla 15, David Malan and Saif Zaib 6-6, Amar Singh Rautela was out for 9 runs. Punit Mehra of Sudurpaschim took 3 wickets. He gave away 14 runs in 2.1 overs. Captain Dipendra Singh Airi, Avinash Bohra, Ishan Pandey and debutant Hikmat Mahara took 1 wicket each.

Earlier, after losing the toss for 75 runs by opener Chris Lynn, Sudurpaschim, who were invited to bat, lost 4 wickets and scored 1 run for 69. Lynn was very lucky. When Kushal was on 2 runs, Lynn dropped an easy return catch. It cost Chitwan a lot. Player of the Match Lynn hit 5 fours and 3 sixes in a total of 56 balls. He retired heartily in the 17th over. 

His opening pair Binod Bhandari scored 21 runs in 17 balls with 2 fours and 1 six. Ishan was out for 1, Puneet for 13, and Harmeet for 1 run. Arif Sheikh and Dipendra both remained unbeaten on 24 runs. Arif hit 2 fours and 1 six in 16 balls and Dipendra hit 2 sixes in 14 balls. Zaib took 2 wickets from Chitwan. Ranjit Kumar and George Scrimshaw took 1 wicket each. 

Shahab's 6 wickets with a hat-trick 

Shahab Alam took 6 wickets with a hat-trick as Kathmandu defeated Pokhara Avengers by 13 runs to formalize the playoffs. When Pokhara needed 20 runs to win in the last over, Shahab took a hat-trick in the first 3 balls and, after being set a target of 166 runs, Pokhara was all out for 152 runs in 20 overs. 

Kathmandu's fourth consecutive win has strengthened its chances of reaching Qualifier 1 by staying in the top two positions. Shahab became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the NPL. He took 4 wickets in the last over. The Devrehate spinner took 6 wickets for 25 runs in 4 overs. 

Rishi Dhawan kept Pokhara's hopes alive until the last over by scoring 54 runs. Shahab dismissed him in the first ball of the last over. Then Shahab completed his hat-trick by stumping Bipin Khatri in the second ball and catching Akash Chand off Milind. Sagar Dhakal hit a six in the fourth ball, but Shahab took 6 wickets after giving a catch in the last ball.

Dhawan hit 3 fours and 2 sixes in 31 balls. Dhananjay Lakshman scored 30 runs in 27 balls with 1 four and captain Kushal Bhurtel scored 22 runs in 20 balls with 2 sixes. Adam Rossington 5, Jason Roy 16, Tritaraj Das 9, Kiran Thagunna 5. Apart from Shahab, captain Karan KC and Sunny Patel took 2 wickets each for 25 runs in 4 overs for Kathmandu. 

Earlier, Kathmandu, who were invited to bat after losing the toss on half-centuries by Ben Charlesworth and Bhim Sarki, scored 165 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs. Charlesworth scored 64 runs in 55 balls. He was dismissed in the 19th over and hit 5 fours and 2 sixes. Player of the Match Bhim, who completed his half-century in 19 balls, hit 5 fours and 4 sixes in 23 balls. 

Kathmandu did not start well. Akash Tripathi was bowled by Lakshman in the first over. Rashid Khan was dismissed after hitting 1 six and scoring 7 runs in 12 balls. Bhim played big shots after Milind Kumar was dismissed for 13, John Simpson for 2 and Adil Alam Ansari for 7 runs. Karan KC, who faced the last 2 balls, was dismissed for 4 runs. Lakshman took 4 wickets from Pokhara, including 2 in the last over. Kushal took 2 and Bipin Khatri and Kiran took 1 wicket each.

Record made on Thursday

– For the first time in the Nepal Premier League, a hat-trick wicket has been possible. This good fortune was achieved by Shahab Alam of Kathmandu Gorkhaz. He took three consecutive wickets in the last over of the match against Pokhara Avengers. He dismissed Rishi Dhawan, Bipin Khatri and Akash Chand in the first 3 balls of the last over. 

Shahab Alam of Kathmandu has bowled the best in NPL history. He took 6 wickets for 25 runs in 4 overs against Pokhara. He surpassed William Bosisto of Karnali Yaks. Bosisto took 6 wickets for 28 runs against Pokhara last year.

– Kathmandu’s Bhim Sarki has scored his second-lowest fifty in the NPL. He scored his fifty in 19 balls against Pokhara. This season, Sudurpaschim’s Harmit Singh scored his fifty in 19 balls against Kathmandu, and last year, Janakpur Bolts’ Jimmy Neesam scored his fifty in 18 balls against Chitwan Rhinos.

– Kathmandu’s Milind Kumar has become the first player to take 5 catches in a single match. He achieved this record against Pokhara on Thursday. Kathmandu’s Gerhard Erasmus took 4 catches against Chitwan this season.

– Chitwan’s Ravi Bopara has become the first player to complete 500 runs in the NPL. He has scored 236 runs in 6 matches this season, including 3 half-centuries. Last season, he scored 286 runs in 8 matches, including 3 half-centuries.