Karnali Yaks achieved their third win in the current Nepal Premier League (NPL), overcoming Pokhara Avengers by 7 wickets in Tuesday’s second match of the day. The outcome has made it more challenging for Pokhara to keep their playoff aspirations alive.
Pursuing a modest goal of 104 runs, Karnali Yaks reached this target in only 15 overs, losing 3 wickets in the process. Gulshan Jha significantly contributed to the win, making an undefeated 49 runs from 37 balls, featuring 3 fours and 4 sixes. William Basisto stayed unbeaten with a score of 2 runs.
Chadwick Walton (42) played a significant role, but was out by Kushal Bhurtel, scoring 42 runs from 34 deliveries, featuring 6 fours and 1 six. Opener Babar Hayat was dismissed quickly, scoring only 7 runs before being bowled by Sagar Dhakal. Dev Khanal also couldn’t make a mark, dismissed for a duck by Bipin Khatri.
In the earlier stages of the match, Pokhara Avengers chose to bat after winning the toss and were dismissed for a mere 103 runs in only 16.3 overs. William Bosisto from Karnali Yaks emerged as the top bowler, taking 6 wickets for only 28 runs and severely dismantling Pokhara’s batting order.
Even with a strong beginning, as Dinesh Kharel and Andreas Gous formed a partnership of 46 runs for the initial wicket in only 3.5 overs, Pokhara’s middle order fell apart. Kharel scored 26 runs before Unish Thakuri bowled him out, and Gous was out for 25 runs, caught out. After that, the innings collapsed, as William Bosisto claimed 3 vital wickets in the fourth over, leaving Pokhara at 52-5.
Dilip Nath (3), Michael Leask (2), and Narayan Joshi (1) were all dismissed quickly, and even with some late fight from Raymon Reifer (20) and captain Kushal Bhurtel (10), Pokhara failed to bounce back. Bipin Khatri was dismissed for 10, with no other players scoring in double digits.
With this victory, Karnali Yaks have gained 6 points from 5 matches, moving up to 4th position in the NPL standings. Their odds of making the playoffs now appear significantly improved. At the same time, Pokhara Avengers have only earned 2 points from 4 games, placing them in 6th position on the standings, which complicates their route to the playoffs.
In an impressive feat, William Bosisto became the 4th player in NPL history to capture five wickets in one match, following Sohail Tanvir, Naren Saud, and Harsh Thaker.
