Kathmandu vs Karnali NPL 2026 Match Result: Karan KC Stars as Kathmandu Beat Karnali by 4 Wickets

Kathmandu Gorkhas beat Karnali Yaks by 4 wickets in Match 10 of the Nepal Premier League 2026 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Monday, November 2. Chasing 181, Kathmandu reached 181 for 6 in 19.4 overs, sealing their first win of the season with two balls to spare and handing Karnali their first defeat of the tournament.

Captain Karan KC was the Player of the Match, leading from the front in both innings. He smashed 44 off just 20 balls in the chase and earlier took 2 wickets for 35 runs with the ball, as Kathmandu recovered from a mid-innings wobble to chase down a stiff target. Rashid Khan’s fifty at the top of the order set the chase up, and Jahandad Khan’s unbeaten 22 off 10 balls finished the job at the death.

Kathmandu vs Karnali NPL 2026 match result: score summary

Match 10 Score Summary	Score
Karnali Yaks	180/6 (20 overs)
Kathmandu Gorkhas	181/6 (19.4 overs)
Result	Kathmandu Gorkhas won by 4 wickets (2 balls remaining)
Player of the Match	Karan KC (44 off 20 balls and 2/35)
Venue	Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur
Toss	Kathmandu Gorkhas won the toss and chose to field

Karnali Yaks post 180 for 6 after Ariful Islam blitz

Kathmandu won the toss and chose to field first, and the decision looked a good one early as Karnali slipped to 78 for 4. Ariful Islam, though, gave the Yaks a flying start with 44 off just 22 balls, including five fours and three sixes, before the Kathmandu bowlers dragged the game back in the middle overs.

Hussain Talat then rebuilt the innings with 40 off 30 balls, and Pawan Sarraf’s unbeaten 30 off 24 balls carried Karnali to a competitive total. The pair added 65 runs for the fifth wicket, and a late burst from Gulsan Jha, who made 20 off 12 balls, pushed Karnali to 180 for 6. Mark Watt contributed 17 off 20 balls, while captain Sompal Kami finished unbeaten on 1.

For Kathmandu, captain Karan KC was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 35 in his four overs. Shahab Alam took 1 for 31, while Jahandad Khan, Dev Shah and Santosh Yadav claimed a wicket each to keep Karnali from running away with the innings.

Rashid Khan fifty and Karan KC blitz power Kathmandu chase

Kathmandu’s chase of 181 started shakily. David Warner made 16 off 10 balls and Smit Patel 9 off 11, and when Mohammad Aadil Alam fell for 20 off 27 balls and Bhim Sharki for 5, Kathmandu were 89 for 4 and the game was in the balance.

Rashid Khan changed the momentum with a fifty off 33 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, and his partnership with captain Karan KC turned the chase Kathmandu’s way. Karan KC then took over with a brutal 44 off just 20 balls, and even after both set batters fell, Kathmandu stayed ahead of the asking rate.

At 166 for 6 after 18.1 overs, Kathmandu still needed 15 runs from 11 balls. Jahandad Khan held his nerve with an unbeaten 22 off 10 balls, and with Santosh Yadav unbeaten on 5 off 3 balls at the other end, Kathmandu crossed the line in 19.4 overs, winning by 4 wickets with two balls to spare.

For Karnali, captain Sompal Kami and Hussain Talat took two wickets each, while Mark Watt and Nandan Yadav picked up one apiece. But the Yaks’ bowlers could not defend 180 on a good batting surface at Kirtipur once Karan KC found his range.

Kathmandu vs Karnali turning points in NPL Match 10

The first turning point came in Karnali’s innings, when Kathmandu’s bowlers reduced the table-toppers to 78 for 4. At that stage a total well short of 160 looked likely, but Talat and Sarraf’s 65-run stand rescued Karnali and gave their bowlers something to defend.

The second came in the chase, when Kathmandu slipped to 89 for 4. Rashid Khan and Karan KC refused to let the asking rate climb, adding quick runs through the middle overs and taking Kathmandu from trouble to a position of control at 144 for 4 after 16.4 overs.

The final twist was the finish itself. With 15 needed off 11 balls and six wickets down, Jahandad Khan’s clean hitting closed the game out, denying Karnali a third straight win and giving Kathmandu their first points of the season.

What the Kathmandu win means for the NPL 2026 points table

The result shakes up the early NPL 2026 standings. Karnali Yaks, who had won their first two matches against Janakpur Bolts and Biratnagar Kings, suffer their first defeat and stay on 4 points from three games. Kathmandu Gorkhas, beaten by Janakpur Bolts in their opener, open their account with 2 points from two games and get their campaign up and running.

For Kathmandu, the win is about more than two points. Chasing 181 against the tournament’s early pacesetters, with their captain delivering with bat and ball, will give Karan KC’s side real belief for the rest of the league stage. For Karnali, the defeat is a first setback rather than a crisis, but their bowlers will know that 180 was not enough once the chase got going.

What’s next in NPL 2026

The NPL 2026 action continues at Kirtipur later on Monday, with Sudurpaschim Royals taking on Chitwan Rhinos in the evening game of the double-header. Kathmandu will look to build on this first win in their next outing, while Karnali will aim to bounce straight back and protect their place near the top of the table.

For more NPL 2026 coverage, read the Janakpur vs Pokhara match result, check the NPL today match guide, and see the full NPL 2026 teams and squads.