Cricket
Janakpur Bolts face Kathmandu Gurkhas in the first match of Thursday’s Nepal Premier League doubleheader on October 29. The official NPL Match 5 page lists a 12:30 pm Nepal time start at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Janakpur are playing their second match of the season after a 19-run loss to Karnali Yaks, while Kathmandu are due to make their first appearance of the campaign.
The official page names Harmeet Singh and Karan KC as the respective captains and identifies several squad players to watch. However, neither playing eleven nor the toss decision is confirmed at this stage. Those details should wait for the teams’ matchday announcements. Thursday’s schedule continues with Karnali Yaks against Biratnagar Kings at 5:00 pm NPT at the same ground.
The two fixtures form a doubleheader, but they have separate tosses and team sheets, so availability information from one match should not be carried into the other. Janakpur versus Kathmandu remains the first of two confirmed Thursday fixtures.
Janakpur’s opening result gives them an immediate, measurable task. Karnali made 132 for nine before dismissing the Bolts for 113 in 19.3 overs on October 27. Harmeet led Janakpur’s bowling effort with three wickets for 22 runs, and Rahul Yadav took two for 15. The batting reply never produced a long partnership: the team slipped to 57 for five in the tenth over and later lost two wickets at 94.
Harmeet and Abhishek Tiwari each made 20, while Moeen Ali scored 19. The total left Janakpur 19 runs short despite restricting Karnali to a modest score. Thursday therefore offers a quick opportunity to improve their partnership building and use of the middle overs rather than allowing another chase to fragment.
Kathmandu enter with a reshaped squad led by Nepal all-rounder Karan KC. An OnlineKhabar profile published on October 24 highlighted Australian opener David Warner, India wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat, Sri Lankan all-rounder Sahan Arachchige and former Australia Under-19 captain William Bosisto among the overseas signings.
Kathmandu retained a domestic core that includes Bhim Sharki, Adil Alam, Santosh Yadav, Rashid Khan and Shahab Alam, while adding younger Nepal players at the auction. The franchise improved from fifth place in the inaugural edition to a playoff appearance in the second, where Lumbini Lions ended its campaign in the eliminator.
The squad profile indicates batting and spin depth, but it does not confirm which overseas players will be selected against Janakpur.
One selection issue also requires careful wording. The official match page lists Iftikhar Ahmed among Janakpur’s players to watch, but OnlineKhabar reported on October 28 that permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board remained unresolved for Iftikhar and Hunain Shah. The franchise said it was awaiting a final response and had arranged alternatives.
That report should not be converted into a definitive claim about Thursday’s eleven before an official team sheet appears. Analysis: the fixture pairs a team seeking an immediate batting response with a Kathmandu side revealing its competitive combination for the first time this season.
Janakpur already have evidence that their bowling can control an innings, while Kathmandu’s public squad profile suggests several possible batting and spin configurations. The verified position before the toss is straightforward: the match is scheduled for 12:30 pm NPT, Janakpur are trying to recover from an opening defeat, and Kathmandu are beginning their campaign.
Source publication date: 2026-10-24; player availability update published 2026-10-28; fixture checked 2026-10-29. Event or reporting period: 2026-10-29.
Sources:Nepal Premier League official Match 5 page; October 29 fixture, 12:30 pm NPT start, venue and listed players to watch · Nepal Premier League official schedule; October 29 doubleheader and 5:00 pm NPT second fixture · Nepal Premier League official Match 3 scorecard; Janakpur’s October 27 result and player figures · OnlineKhabar, Govinda Raj Nepal, October 24, 2026; Kathmandu squad profile, recent competition record and original featured photograph · OnlineKhabar, October 28, 2026; unresolved permission status for Janakpur’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Hunain Shah
Source: GPT News Feed
