Chitwan Rhinos Beat Biratnagar Kings by 8 Runs in NPL M2

Chitwan Rhinos opened their NPL Season 3 campaign with an eight-run win over Biratnagar Kings at the TU Ground in Kirtipur, defending 157 for three by bowling Biratnagar out for 149 in 19.3 overs.

Kamal Singh Airee's match-turning spell

Chitwan Rhinos won a match that looked to be slipping away because Kamal Singh Airee struck when Biratnagar Kings were building a winning position. Airee finished with four wickets for 26 runs in his four overs, and his two strikes in the 18th over turned the closing overs decisively in Chitwan's favour. Biratnagar, who had needed 21 runs from the final three overs with wickets in hand, suddenly found themselves chasing a total that no longer looked gettable.

Rijan Dhakal backed Airee up with two wickets in the 19th over, leaving Biratnagar struggling to keep up with the required run rate. Ranjit Kumar, Mausam Dhakal, Tom Taylor and Dan Mousley took one wicket each, and Taylor closed the match out by bowling Shubham Ranjane in the final over. It was a complete bowling effort at the death, built on discipline rather than one lucky over, and it gave Chitwan two points from their first match of the season.

Dawid Malan's first half-century of Season 3

The win was set up by Dawid Malan, who scored the first half-century of this season's NPL. The England batter made 70 off 51 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, and reached his fifty off 41 balls. After Biratnagar won the toss and sent Chitwan in to bat, Malan shared a 58-run opening stand with Dev Khanal, who scored 12 off 15 balls, giving Chitwan a platform that never really went away even when wickets fell.

Arjun Saud fell for three off nine balls, caught by captain Sandeep Lamichhane off Angelo Mathews on the final ball of the 11th over, and Malan himself was dismissed by Andre Russell in the 13th over. Chitwan still finished strongly, because captain Ravi Bopara stayed unbeaten on 32 and Dan Mousley finished on 29 not out. Their unbeaten stand carried Chitwan to 157 for three in 20 overs, a total that proved just enough.

Biratnagar Kings chase and late collapse

Biratnagar's chase began well. Lokesh Bam and Imran Sheikh put on 40 runs for the first wicket before Bam was dismissed for 26 off 14 balls, and Sheikh went on to top-score for the Kings with 39 off 31 balls. Charith Asalanka made eight and Basir Ahamad 13, and by the time Angelo Mathews joined Andre Russell at the crease, the match was still in the balance. Russell then changed it, smashing 33 off just 17 balls with a four and four sixes, including consecutive sixes in the 15th over.

When Russell was caught in the long-off region, Biratnagar still needed 26 runs off 25 balls, and the game turned again in the 18th over. Mathews, who had scored 14, and Rupesh Singh, out without scoring, fell in the last two balls of that over, leaving Biratnagar on 141 for seven. Captain Sandeep Lamichhane was dismissed without scoring, Shubham Ranjane hit the first ball of the final over for four with 14 still needed, and then was clean bowled by Taylor in the third ball of the over. Biratnagar were all out for 149, eight runs short.

Points table and next fixtures for both teams

The result puts Chitwan on two points from their opening match, alongside defending champions Lumbini Lions, who beat Sudurpaschim Royals in the season opener on October 26. Biratnagar leave Kirtipur with no points from their first outing, but with a batting line-up that showed it can chase a total of this size for most of the innings. The early points table therefore already separates the two winners of the first two matches from the two teams still waiting for their first win, although every side still has six league matches to play.

Both teams are back in action on October 31. Chitwan face Lumbini Lions, while Biratnagar meet Sudurpaschim Royals, and the full schedule for the rest of the league stage is already set. The day's second match, between Janakpur Bolts and Karnali Yaks, followed this game at the same ground. For readers following the tournament ball by ball, the live scores page carries each match as it happens, and the earlier toss report from this match explains why Biratnagar chose to bowl first after winning the toss.