7:16 PM IST, 7:31 PM Local Time: An excellent comeback from the Sudurpaschim Royals’ bowlers in the second half of the innings, and they thump the Gorkhas by 29 runs to kickstart their campaign on a high note. Kathmandu Gorkhas lost the plot in the second half of both innings and had to pay the price for it, losing the match from a commanding position.
Earlier, Sudurpaschim Royals were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs, recovering from a disastrous start thanks to a scintillating 53 off 20 balls from Harmeet Singh. After opting to bowl, Karan KC tore through the top order, dismissing Josh Brown, Binod Bhandari, and Chris Lynn inside the first three overs. The Royals kept losing wickets regularly and were five down before the halfway mark, but Harmeet’s explosive counterattack and Dipendra Singh Airee’s composed 39 steadied the innings.
However, the lower order offered little resistance, and the innings folded in the final over. The Gorkhas, despite a strong start with the ball, leaked runs at the death and dropped a few straightforward catches. Karan KC finished with four wickets, while Milind Kumar, Sunny Patel, and Rashid Khan claimed two each.
In reply, Kathmandu Gorkhas lost Ben Charlesworth (8), Bhim Sharki (12), and Santosh Yadav (1) cheaply inside the powerplay. John Simpson then joined Aakash Tripathi, and the pair steadied the innings with a fluent 49-run stand. Just as the partnership was gaining momentum, Ishan Pandey trapped Simpson for 25 to break the stand.
In the very next over, Harmeet Singh struck twice in two balls, removing Aakash (35) and Mohammad Aadil Alam (0), as the Gorkhas suddenly lost three wickets in quick succession. Following the departure of both set batters, the Gorkhas fell like nine pins and were folded for 118 runs in 16.5 overs.
Scott Kuggeleijn, Hemant Dhami, and Harmeet Singh bagged a couple of wickets each for the Royals, while Ishan Pandey, Naren Saud, and Abinash Bohara contributed one wicket to the downfall.
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