Nepal T20 League - Pokhara Avengers Beat Kathmandu Knights To Register Third Straight Win

Pokhara Avengers, on Monday (January 2), beat Kathmandu Knights by 5 wickets to register their third straight win in the ongoing Nepal T20 League 2022/23.

Both the teams had entered the game on the back of victories. Avengers, who started their campaign with 5 straight losses, now have 3 wins from 8 games. On the other hand, the Knights have 3 wins and 3 losses.

Pokhara Avengers' Sumit Maharjan brings up his half century, while chasing 165 against Kathmandu Knights.#NepalT20 pic.twitter.com/mu0ehTrdKD

— CAN (@CricketNep) January 2, 2023

Pokhara Avengers’ chase:

Sumit Maharjan (76) and Upul Tharanga (58) scored fifties as Pokhara Avengers chased down 165 to register another crucial win in the ongoing Nepal T20 League.

Avengers were off to a poor start as opener Aasif Sheikh (7) and number 3 Aarif Sheikh (0) departed in quick succession to leave their team reeling at 16 for 2 in the second over.

But before the Knights could make further inroads, Maharjan and Tharanga steadied the ship for the Avengers. The duo went on to lay the foundation for the win by sharing a big stand of 112 runs for the third wicket.

#NepalT20
Match 19 -Pokhara Avengers vs Kathmandu Knights
– Match Summary pic.twitter.com/X2bR1RRDAb

— CAN (@CricketNep) January 2, 2023

Anil Kharel broke the stand when he sent back Tharanga. Maharjan and Kushal Malla then added 30 runs for the fourth wicket to take Avengers further close to the win. There was  a bit of drama towards the end when Maharjan and Siddhant Lohani departed in quick succession but Malla stayed firm and eventually took his team home with 2 balls remaining.

Kathmandu Knights’ innings:

Earlier in the game, Pokhara Avengers won the toss and elected to field first. Batting first, the Knights put up a competitive total of 164 for 4 in the stipulated 20 overs. Alex Blake top-scored for the Kathmandu-based outfit, scoring 64 off just 28 balls with the help of 3 fours and 7 sixes.

Openers Virandeep Singh (32) and Sunam Gautam (45) gave the Knights  a slow start. While they ensured that the wickets remained intact, they just could not play at a good pace. They added 73 runs in 76 balls for the opening stand.

At that stage, the 150-run mark was looking unlikely for the Knights. However, Blake’s whirlwind knock guided the Knights to the good total. For the Avengers, Tul Thapa was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 17.

#NepalT20
Match 19 -Pokhara Avengers vs Kathmandu Knights
– Innings Summary pic.twitter.com/4DGq4IfofW

— CAN (@CricketNep) January 2, 2023

Nepal T20 League points table: