Cricket
Sudurpaschim Royals moved into third place in the 2026 Nepal Premier League after beating Chitwan Rhinos by five wickets at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Monday, November 2. The match was scheduled for 5:00 pm Nepal time. Chitwan made 129 for six from their 20 overs after Sudurpaschim captain Dipendra Singh Airee won the toss and chose to field.
Sudurpaschim answered with 131 for five in 16.4 overs, completing the chase with 20 balls remaining. The official NPL scorecard records the winning margin and final totals, while The Kathmandu Post published its result report on November 2 and updated it at 9:02 pm NPT. The victory is Sudurpaschim’s second in four matches and takes them to four points.
Chitwan suffered their first defeat in three fixtures and remain on three points after an opening win and a rain-abandoned match.
Brandon McMullen gave the chase its decisive acceleration with 43 from 21 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes. Sudurpaschim had lost Saif Zaib for two and Binod Bhandari for 11, but McMullen attacked immediately after entering. The Kathmandu Post reports that he took three fours and a six from one Rijan Dhakal over.
Ranjit Kumar then restored pressure by dismissing McMullen and captain Airee from consecutive balls, with Airee bowled for a golden duck. Ishan Pandey made 25 from 30 balls before falling at 103 for five in the 13th over. Aarif Sheikh and Sherfane Rutherford finished the job without another wicket. The official scorecard lists Aarif unbeaten on 20 from 25 balls and Rutherford unbeaten on 21 from 15, including two fours and a six.
Ranjit was Chitwan’s leading bowler with three for 28 from four overs; Rijan Dhakal and Mousom Dhakal took one wicket each.
Chitwan’s innings depended heavily on Ravi Bopara, who top-scored with 49 from 40 balls, including three fours and two sixes. His innings also took him past 10,000 runs across T20 competitions, according to The Kathmandu Post. The Rhinos struggled to build momentum around him. Dev Khanal made seven, Dawid Malan scored 16 from 17 balls and Arjun Saud added 15 from 16.
Sikandar Raza, captaining Chitwan after returning from international duty with Zimbabwe, made 15 from 20 deliveries. Kushal Malla, who had captained the franchise in the previous two NPL seasons, was absent from Monday’s playing eleven. Scott Kuggeleijn led Sudurpaschim’s bowling with two wickets for 27 runs from four overs. Hemant Dhami, Dipendra Singh Airee and Anil Kharel took one wicket each.
Chitwan reached 129 for six, but the target allowed Sudurpaschim to absorb five wickets and still finish the chase before the end of the 17th over.
The result changes both teams’ early-season position. Sudurpaschim began with a seven-wicket loss to Lumbini Lions, responded by beating Pokhara Avengers by six wickets and then lost a rain-reduced five-over match to Biratnagar Kings by 35 runs. Monday’s victory therefore brings their record back to two wins and two defeats.
Chitwan had opened by beating Biratnagar by eight runs, while their scheduled match against Lumbini on October 31 was abandoned without a toss and produced one point. Their first defeat leaves them fourth rather than allowing them to move to the top of the standings. Analysis: the main difference was the pace of the chase.
McMullen’s 43 from 21 created enough room for Aarif and Rutherford to manage the later overs, while Bopara’s 49 from 40 accounted for a large share of Chitwan’s total without a comparable burst around him. That conclusion describes the verified score pattern; it does not predict either team’s remaining league matches.
The supporter takeaway is a five-wicket Sudurpaschim win, achieved with 20 balls left, and a rise from seventh to third after four games.
Source publication date: 2026-11-02; The Kathmandu Post result report updated at 9:02 pm NPT. Event or reporting period: 2026-11-02.
Sources:The Kathmandu Post result report, published November 2, 2026 and updated at 9:02 pm NPT; five-wicket result, standings and individual performances · Nepal Premier League official Match 11 scorecard, checked November 2, 2026; final totals, 20-ball margin and full batting and bowling figures · The Kathmandu Post first-innings report, published November 2, 2026 and updated at 7:03 pm NPT; Chitwan innings, Bopara milestone and Sudurpaschim bowling figures · NPL Cricket League preview by Muhammad Saleem, published October 31, 2026; pre-match records and points-table stakes
Source: GPT News Feed
