NPL 2026 Day Four: Janakpur vs Kathmandu, Karnali vs Biratnagar

The fourth day of NPL Season 3 is a double-header at Kirtipur. Kathmandu Gorkhas play their first match of the season against Janakpur Bolts in the afternoon, and Karnali Yaks meet Biratnagar Kings under lights in the evening, with four teams already on two points after four matches.

Kathmandu opening match against Janakpur

Kathmandu Gorkhas play their first match of NPL Season 3 on Thursday, and the afternoon fixture against Janakpur Bolts is the most anticipated opening game of the tournament so far. David Warner headlines the Kathmandu squad, alongside the domestic core led by captain Karan KC, and the franchise has waited until the fourth day of the season to begin its campaign. The match starts at 12:30 PM NST at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.

Janakpur arrive with a defeat already on their record. They lost their opener to Karnali Yaks by 19 runs on Tuesday, bowled out for 113 while chasing 133, after their bowlers had restricted Karnali to 132 for nine. No Janakpur batter passed 20 in that chase, and the defeat leaves the inaugural champions needing a response before the tournament moves on without them. Captain Harmeet Singh led the bowling effort in that match with three wickets, and his side will need the same discipline with the ball and far more from the batting order against Kathmandu.

One question still hangs over the Janakpur camp. Their two Pakistan players sat out the opener, and the franchise chief executive has said they will be sent home if the PCB gives no clear reply on their clearance. Until that reply arrives, Janakpur must plan as if they are without them, which puts extra weight on the domestic batters and on the overseas players who did feature in the first match. A second defeat would leave Janakpur winless, while a win would pull them level with the four teams already on two points.

Karnali evening match against Biratnagar

The evening match pairs two teams heading in opposite directions after the first round of games. Karnali Yaks defended a modest total to win their opener, and captain Sompal Kami leads a side that already knows it can win a low-scoring game at Kirtipur. Two of their bowlers took three wickets each against Janakpur, and their top scorer made 43, enough to set up a 19-run win that was built on pressure through the middle overs rather than one spectacular innings.

Biratnagar Kings lost their opener by eight runs to Chitwan Rhinos, despite chasing 158 and reaching 149. Their England opener made 70, and their West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell struck four sixes in a 33 off 17 balls before falling at a crucial stage of the chase. Another defeat would leave Biratnagar winless after two matches.

Karnali have one notable absence for the evening game. Their opener who returned to Pakistan for national duty misses the first two matches of the season, and this fixture against Biratnagar is Karnali's second match, so he plays no part again. Karnali still have depth to cover him: their South African finisher was unveiled as their sixth overseas player on October 23, and Hussain Talat has already shown his value with the ball, taking three wickets in the win over Janakpur. The evening match starts at 5:00 PM NST, under lights at the same Kirtipur ground.

Points table after four matches

Four matches into the season, the points table is already split into two groups. Lumbini Lions, Karnali Yaks, Chitwan Rhinos and Sudurpaschim Royals all have two points from one win each, separated only by net run rate. Lumbini lead the group on +4.599 after bowling Sudurpaschim out for 87 in the opener, while Karnali sit second on +0.950 and Chitwan third on +0.400. Sudurpaschim, who have played twice, are fourth on -1.430 after their six-wicket win over Pokhara Avengers on Wednesday.

Below them, three teams are still looking for their first points. Biratnagar sit on -0.400 after their eight-run defeat, Janakpur on -0.950 after their 19-run defeat, and Pokhara on -1.542 after losing their opening match to Sudurpaschim. Kathmandu are the only team yet to play, so they start the day with no points and a net run rate of zero. That makes Thursday a day of opportunity: the winners of both matches join the group on two points, while the losers risk falling two games behind the early pace with only five league matches left to play.

Kathmandu have watched four matches from the sidelines, and their first performance will set the tone for their season. None of the other three teams has yet put a complete performance together, and the team that does so first on Thursday will leave Kirtipur with the early-season momentum.

Venue, tickets and broadcast details

Both matches are played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, the sole venue for the season, which runs from October 26 to November 21. The day game starts at 12:30 PM NST and the evening game at 5:00 PM NST, and Friday is a rest day before the tournament resumes on Saturday with two more matches. The full schedule lists all 28 league matches plus the playoffs, with the final set for November 21.

Tickets for matches at the ground are sold through eSewa, the tournament's ticketing partner,. For those watching from home, NetTV carries the matches worldwide, Himalaya Sports TV shows them in Nepal, and FanCode streams them in India. Thursday's results will stand as the early-season picture for a full day before play resumes.