Lahiru Milantha of Janakpur Bolts was the top run-scorer in the first season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) cricket. His impressive 87-run performance in the final versus Sudurpaschim Royals launched him to the top of the rankings, overtaking Ravi Bopara, Rohit Paudel, and others.
Prior to the final, Ravi Bopara of Chitwan Rhinos was in the lead with 286 runs, while Rohit Paudel, captain of Lumbini Lions, followed closely with 279. Milantha, who had gathered 206 runs prior to the final, raced to 293 following his match-winning performance off 49 balls. He also sustained an impressive strike rate exceeding 130 during the tournament.
Milantha’s NPL campaign featured an impressive innings of 75 not out from 53 balls in the tournament’s opening match against Biratnagar Kings.
In the meantime, Lalit Rajbanshi from Janakpur and Scott Kuggeleijn from Sudurpaschim ended up tied as this season’s top wicket-takers, each taking 17 wickets. Rajbanshi’s disciplined bowling was crucial in Janakpur’s win. He delivered a maiden over at the start of the final and got rid of Sudurpaschim’s crucial batsman, Binod Bhandari, for 41 runs. Rajbanshi concluded the match with statistics of 1 for 15 in 4 overs, which included a maiden over.
In comparison, Kuggeleijn had difficulty in the final, giving away 28 runs in his initial two overs. He succeeded in getting rid of Milantha in the 17th over but conceded 15 runs during that over, comprising wides and boundaries.
Although Kuggeleijn has a lower economy rate, his average of 12.35 over 9 matches surpassed Rajbanshi’s 12.52 in 10 matches. Additional notable bowlers of the season featured Sohail Tanvir from Chitwan and Kishore Mahato from Janakpur, both with 14 wickets, along with Sudurpaschim’s Saif Zaib who took 12 wickets.
Milantha and Rajbanshi played key roles in Janakpur Bolts’ successful NPL season, establishing themselves as the top performers of the year.
