Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers Match Prediction – NPL Season 3 Match 9

Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers match prediction for NPL Season 3 Match 9: the Sunday evening fixture at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Sunday 1 November at 5:00 PM NST, with our winner pick, pitch report, head-to-head and toss call.

Match Details

Team Form

Janakpur have one Season 3 game behind them, and it was a defeat that slipped away late. On Monday against Karnali, Janakpur were bowled out for 113 in 19.3 overs, chasing Karnali's 132 for 9, and lost by 19 runs after losing their final six wickets for just 19 runs. Harmeet Singh took 3 for 22, Moeen Ali took 2 for 19, and Abhisekh Tiwari top-scored with 20 off 17. One game, zero points, but a bowling attack that held its opponent to 132 for 9.

Pokhara have no Season 3 game behind them at all. Their opener against Sudurpaschim in Match 4, on 28 October, had not been played when this article was written, so there is no Pokhara form line to weigh. Janakpur's Match 5 game against Kathmandu, on 29 October, was also not known when this article was written, so these form lines are only part of the story.

Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers Head-to-Head Record

No verified head-to-head record is available for this fixture, so none is claimed here. With no past meeting to lean on, this prediction rests on what is known: Janakpur's bowling held Karnali to 132 for 9, and Pokhara's form is entirely unknown.

Venue and Pitch Report

The TU Ground in Kirtipur hosts all 32 Season 3 matches. The same ground has already produced two very different games this season: the opener finished with totals of 87 and 88 for 3, while the second game finished with 157 for 3 and 149 all out. An evening start on Sunday should play differently again, with dew a possible factor late on.

No verified pitch report for Sunday 1 November was available when this article was written. The record book still stands: the highest total here is 220 for 6 (18 November 2025), the lowest Janakpur's 51 all out, and the highest individual score Mark Watt's 114 not out.

Weather

No verified forecast for Kirtipur on Sunday 1 November was available when this article was written. The 5:00 PM start means the game begins in daylight and finishes under lights, so evening conditions shape the second innings either way.

Probable Playing XI

Janakpur: Anil Sah (WK), Harmeet Singh (C), Iftikhar Ahmed, Wayne Parnell, Hunain Shah, Lalit Rajbanshi, Mayank Yadav, Bikash Aagri, Aaditya Mahata, Moeen Ali, Aakash Tripathi.

Pokhara: Kushal Bhurtel (C), Sagar Dhakal, Arjun Kumal, Bipin Khatri, Akash Chand, Kiran Thagunna, Arjun Charti (WK), Pratik Pokhrel, Sudip Aryal, Shakib Al Hasan, Chamika Karunaratne.

Both XIs are probable, from the pre-match graphic, and both are confirmed at the toss. Full detail sits in our predicted playing XIs.

Key Players to Watch

For Janakpur: Harmeet Singh, who took 3 for 22 in the opener, and Moeen Ali, who took 2 for 19. For Pokhara: Kushal Bhurtel, the captain and opener, and Shakib Al Hasan, the overseas all-rounder. Note that Pokhara's form is entirely unknown, with their opener still to be played when this article was written — one more reason the toss matters.

Fantasy Picks

Fantasy picks, not betting advice. Captain: Harmeet Singh, who took 3 for 22 in the opener and captains the side. Vice-captain: Moeen Ali, who took 2 for 19 and adds batting depth.

Top picks: Harmeet and Moeen. Lalit Rajbanshi and Iftikhar Ahmed back them up as Janakpur options, with Anil Sah behind them; Kushal Bhurtel is the Pokhara captain-batter option. Differentials: Shakib Al Hasan, the overseas all-rounder, and Chamika Karunaratne with the ball. Avoid loading up on one side's middle order: with Janakpur's batting collapse in the opener and Pokhara yet to play, spread picks across both sides.

Toss Prediction

Expect the captain winning the toss to lean towards fielding first. This is an evening game starting at 5:00 PM NST, finishing under lights, so dew can arrive late and favour the chase. The side batting first must post enough to defend with a wet ball; the side chasing knows exactly what it needs. The toss is more decisive here than in a day game.

Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers Match Prediction: Who Will Win?

Our pick: Janakpur Bolts, narrowly, with low confidence. Janakpur's defeat in the opener was a batting collapse, not a bowling failure: they held Karnali to 132 for 9, with Harmeet taking 3 for 22 and Moeen 2 for 19, before losing their final six wickets for 19 runs. Pokhara's form is entirely unknown, with their opener still to be played when this article was written. That gap, small as it is, is the whole case.

Pokhara's case is real: Bhurtel's batting, Shakib's all-round record and a fresh bowling attack can win an evening game, and Janakpur's batting collapse is a genuine weakness. But with Janakpur having played and Pokhara yet to play, and no verified head-to-head, the gap between these sides is small, and confidence stays low. Janakpur by a narrow margin.

Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers – Who will win?

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Conclusion

Janakpur's bowling in the opener makes them narrow favourites over a Pokhara side yet to play. With Match 5 and Match 4 still to come, this stays a low-confidence call.