Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gurkhas match prediction for NPL 2026 Match 5: Season 1 champions Janakpur against a Kathmandu side opening its campaign at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Thursday 29 October at 12:30 PM NST, with the head-to-head level at 1-1 and Kathmandu winners of the last meeting, by 5 wickets in the Season 2 opener.
Match Details
| Match | Match 5, NPL Season 3 |
| Teams | Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gurkhas |
| Date | Thursday, 29 October 2026 |
| Time | 12:30 PM NPT, 11:45 AM PKT, 12:15 PM IST |
| Venue | TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur |
| Toss | To be announced |
| Watch live | NetTV (worldwide), Himalaya Sports TV (Nepal), Star Sports Select 2/2 HD (TV, India and South Asia), FanCode (India) |
Team Form
No Season 3 form exists yet for Kathmandu, and Janakpur have only their Tuesday opener behind them, so form means last season plus the changes since. Janakpur go from champions in Season 1 to last in Season 2 with a single win, then a rebuild: captain Harmeet Singh, the USA all-rounder, leads five retained players under coach Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and the overseas four are Harmeet, Iftikhar Ahmed, Moeen Ali and Jimmy Neesham. Leg-spinner Lalit Rajbanshi is the side’s marquee player. Their Tuesday result against Karnali is now known: Karnali won by 19 runs (132 for 9 against Janakpur's 113 all out).
Kathmandu open their campaign here: captain Karan KC, retained, leads six retained players and seven auction buys under coach Monty Desai, and the overseas four are David Warner, K.S. Bharat, Sahan Arachchige and William Bosisto. Warner is the marquee signing. Auction spend was NPR 17 lakh. No Season 3 form exists for this side yet; the first game is the form guide.
Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gurkhas Head-to-Head Record
Two meetings, one win each, both by five wickets.
| Season 1 | Janakpur won by 5 wickets (first meeting; date and scores not confirmed) |
| Season 2 opener (17 Nov 2025) | Kathmandu won by 5 wickets (Janakpur 130/6, Kathmandu 132/5 in 18 overs) |
Kathmandu own the most recent meeting, so neither side owns this fixture outright.
Venue and Pitch Report
All 32 Season 3 matches are at TU Ground, Kirtipur, where the record book covers the full range: 220 for 6 by Biratnagar (highest), 51 all out by Janakpur (lowest), and 114 not out by Mark Watt. No dependable par score exists here, because the pitch has produced shootouts and collapses in the same week.
This one is different from the evening games in one big way: it starts at 12:30 PM and is played mostly in daylight, so evening dew is not a factor. The toss and the first six overs still carry weight, but defending a total is not the wet-weather gamble it is under lights.
Weather
No verified forecast for Kirtipur on Thursday 29 October was available when this article was written. The match is a day game starting at 12:30 PM NST, so most of it is played in daylight.
Probable Playing XI
Both lineups are probable, not official: confirmed XIs come at the toss. Janakpur start all four of their overseas players; Kathmandu start all four of theirs, the maximum allowed. The full reasoning is in our predicted playing XIs for Match 5.
Janakpur Bolts:
| # | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anil Kumar Sah | Wicketkeeper |
| 2 | Mayan Yadav | Batter |
| 3 | Trit Raj Das | Batter |
| 4 | Moeen Ali (overseas) | All-rounder |
| 5 | Iftikhar Ahmed (overseas) | All-rounder |
| 6 | Jimmy Neesham (overseas) | All-rounder |
| 7 | Harmeet Singh (c) (overseas) | All-rounder |
| 8 | Amar Singh Rautela | All-rounder |
| 9 | Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi | Bowler |
| 10 | Aaditya Mahata | Bowler |
| 11 | Bikash Aagri | Bowler |
Kathmandu Gurkhas:
| # | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Warner (overseas) | Batter |
| 2 | Bhim Sharki | Batter |
| 3 | K.S. Bharat (overseas) | Wicketkeeper |
| 4 | Sahan Arachchige (overseas) | All-rounder |
| 5 | William Bosisto (overseas) | Batter |
| 6 | Santosh Yadav | All-rounder |
| 7 | Mohammad Aadil Alam | All-rounder |
| 8 | Karan KC (c) | All-rounder |
| 9 | Rashid Khan | Bowler |
| 10 | Dayanand Mandal | Bowler |
| 11 | Sonu Devkota | Bowler |
Key Players to Watch
Batters. David Warner (Kathmandu): the marquee opener, nearly 19,000 international runs behind him. K.S. Bharat (Kathmandu): the wicketkeeper-batter at first drop. Moeen Ali (Janakpur): the two-time World Cup winner, batting in a long overseas middle order. Jimmy Neesham (Janakpur): 247 runs at a strike rate of 196.0 in Season 1 for this franchise.
Bowlers. Lalit Rajbanshi (Janakpur): the marquee leg-spinner. Karan KC (Kathmandu): the captain and new-ball bowler. Harmeet Singh (Janakpur): the captain and USA spinner.
Fantasy Picks
Fantasy picks, not betting advice. Captain: Moeen Ali, who contributes with bat and ball. Vice-captain: David Warner, the marquee opener who can win a game alone.
Top picks: Moeen Ali and Warner. Neesham and Harmeet Singh back them up, with Iftikhar Ahmed and Rajbanshi behind them; Karan KC is the new-ball option. Differentials: Bharat behind the stumps and Arachchige with bat and ball. Avoid loading up on one side’s middle order: this fixture is 1-1 for a reason.
Toss Prediction
Expect the captain winning the toss to lean towards batting first. This is a day game starting at 12:30 PM NST, played mostly in daylight with no evening dew to chase under, so setting a total has its usual day-game value. The side chasing still knows exactly what it needs, but the toss is less decisive here than under lights.
Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gurkhas Match Prediction: Who Will Win?
Our pick is Janakpur Bolts, by a small margin, on weight of overseas all-round depth and a game already played: four overseas all-rounders, Rajbanshi’s leg-spin, and Tuesday’s opener behind them.
The case for Kathmandu is real, which is why confidence stays low: Warner can win a game alone, Kathmandu won the last meeting by 5 wickets, and Karan KC leads a new-ball attack. If Warner fires at the top, this pick flips. Form, key battles and venue are in our match preview, and ball-by-ball coverage sits on the match page.
Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gorkhas – Who will win?
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FAQs
Who will win Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gurkhas today?
Our prediction is Janakpur Bolts by a narrow margin, based on four overseas all-rounders and a game already played. Confidence is low: Kathmandu have David Warner and won the last meeting by 5 wickets.
Where can I watch Janakpur Bolts vs Kathmandu Gurkhas live?
Himalaya Sports TV in Nepal, Star Sports Select 2 / Select 2 HD on TV in India and South Asia, NetTV worldwide, and FanCode in India.
What is the pitch report for TU Ground, Kirtipur?
The ground has produced the league’s highest total (220 for 6, by Biratnagar) and its lowest (51 all out), so no dependable par score exists. This is a day game, played mostly in daylight, with no evening dew factor.
What time does the match start?
Thursday, 29 October 2026, at 12:30 PM NST, 11:45 AM PKT, and 12:15 PM IST, at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
Conclusion
Janakpur’s overseas all-round depth makes them narrow favourites, but Kathmandu’s Warner factor and the last meeting say they are no underdogs. Expect a close day game decided by the new ball, the middle overs, and whether Warner fires at the top.
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