Sudurpaschim Royals vs Janakpur Bolts Match Result: Royals Win by 27 Runs to Climb Second in NPL 2026

Sudurpaschim Royals beat Janakpur Bolts by 27 runs in Match 21 of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2026 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Defending a modest total of 120, the Royals bowled Janakpur out for just 93 in 19.5 overs to climb to second place in the NPL 2026 points table with eight points from six matches.

It was a low-scoring thriller that swung on the bowling of both sides. Janakpur captain Harmeet Singh produced a superb four-wicket haul against his former team to restrict Sudurpaschim to 120 for 9, but the Royals’ bowlers, led by Scott Kuggeleijn’s 3 for 13, defended the total with room to spare. Janakpur remain fifth in the standings with four points from six matches, and their playoff hopes have taken a serious blow.

Sudurpaschim vs Janakpur Match Result Summary

Match	Sudurpaschim Royals vs Janakpur Bolts, Match 21, Nepal Premier League 2026
Venue	TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur
Date	Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Toss	Sudurpaschim Royals won the toss and opted to bat
Sudurpaschim Royals	120/9 (20 overs)
Janakpur Bolts	93 all out (19.5 overs)
Result	Sudurpaschim Royals won by 27 runs
Player of the Match	Not officially confirmed at publication time
Points Table	Sudurpaschim 8 points from 6 matches (2nd); Janakpur 4 points from 6 matches (5th)

Sudurpaschim Royals Innings: McMullen and Ratnayake Rescue 120/9

Sudurpaschim Royals won the toss and chose to bat first, but their innings never gathered momentum on a tricky Kirtipur surface. Opener Binod Bhandari was run out for 10 by a direct hit from Lalit Rajbanshi, and the Royals kept losing wickets at regular intervals through the middle overs.

Brandon McMullen was the top scorer for Sudurpaschim with 33 off 23 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes. The Scotland international’s brisk knock gave the innings its only real impetus, but once he fell, the Royals were in danger of being bowled out well short of 120.

Tharindu Ratnayake held the innings together with an unbeaten 27 off 28 balls, including one four and two sixes, batting through to the end of the 20 overs. Arif Sheikh scored 11, while Saif Zaib and Binod Bhandari added 10 runs apiece. The final total of 120 for 9 looked well below par at the halfway stage, and few at the ground would have fancied Sudurpaschim’s chances of defending it.

Harmeet Singh Takes 4/17 Against His Former Team

The story of the first innings was Janakpur captain Harmeet Singh, playing against his former team for the first time. The left-arm spinner, who spent two seasons with Sudurpaschim Royals before being named Janakpur captain for the third NPL season, claimed four wickets for just 17 runs in his four overs.

Harmeet’s spell ripped through the Sudurpaschim middle order and ensured the Royals could never build a partnership of substance. He was superbly supported by Harry Tector, making his first appearance in the tournament, who conceded just nine runs and took one wicket in his four overs. Rahul Yadav, Aditya Mahata and Abhishek Tiwari picked up one wicket each as Janakpur’s bowlers shared the spoils.

For Sudurpaschim, the consolation was that their total, however modest, came on a pitch where stroke-making was difficult all evening. As it turned out, 120 was enough.

Janakpur Bolts Chase: Bowled Out for 93 as Kuggeleijn Strikes

Chasing 121 to win, Janakpur Bolts made a poor start and never recovered. They slipped to 25 for 3 inside the first five overs, and the required run rate kept climbing as Sudurpaschim’s bowlers maintained control throughout the innings.

Tritraj Das top-scored for Janakpur with 21 runs, while Jimmy Neesham contributed 20 off 23 balls. The rest of the batting lineup failed to make a significant impact, with no other batter reaching twenty. Janakpur were 83 for 9 after 19 overs, and the final wicket fell in the last over as Anil Kharel dismissed Rahul Yadav to complete a 27-run victory for the Royals.

Scott Kuggeleijn led the Royals’ bowling attack with an impressive spell of 3 wickets for just 13 runs in four overs. Dipendra Singh Airee, the Sudurpaschim captain, took 1 for 15 in his four overs, while Hemant Dhami, Tharindu Ratnayake, Anil Kharel and Ishan Pandey claimed one wicket each. It was a complete team bowling performance, with every bowler used playing a part in the win.

The result is a reminder of how quickly a chase can unravel in the NPL. Janakpur needed only 121, a target that looked well within reach after Harmeet’s heroics with the ball, but the pressure of a low-scoring chase and disciplined bowling on both sides told in the end.

Key Turning Points in Sudurpaschim vs Janakpur NPL 2026

• Harmeet Singh’s 4/17: The Janakpur captain’s four-wicket haul against his old side kept Sudurpaschim to 120/9 and gave his team the advantage at the innings break.
• McMullen and Ratnayake’s rescue act: Brandon McMullen’s 33 off 23 and Tharindu Ratnayake’s unbeaten 27 dragged Sudurpaschim from a collapse to a defendable total.
• Janakpur’s early slide to 25/3: The Bolts lost three wickets inside five overs of the chase, and the innings never recovered its shape.
• Kuggeleijn’s 3/13: Scott Kuggeleijn’s four-over spell broke the back of the chase and earned Sudurpaschim control they never gave up.
• The final-over finish: Janakpur were 83/9 after 19 overs and were bowled out for 93 in 19.5 overs, falling 27 runs short of a target that had looked gettable.

NPL 2026 Points Table: Sudurpaschim Second, Janakpur Fifth

With this victory, Sudurpaschim Royals moved up to second place in the NPL standings with eight points from six matches, strengthening their position in the playoff race. Janakpur Bolts, meanwhile, remained fifth with four points from an equal number of games, and their path to the playoffs now looks much harder.

Both teams came into this match under pressure, battling for a place in the top four with the league stage entering its final stretch. A victory would have taken Sudurpaschim to at least second place, while a Janakpur win would have lifted them to third. In the end, it was the Royals who took the two points, and the win also gave them a valuable net run rate boost in a tight mid-table race.

The Royals have now beaten Janakpur in a match that could prove decisive for both sides’ seasons. Sudurpaschim’s bowlers have now defended low totals more than once this season, and their ability to win tight, low-scoring games is becoming a defining feature of their campaign.

What This Result Means and What Is Next in NPL 2026

For Sudurpaschim Royals, this was a statement win built on bowling discipline and nerve. Defending 120 is never easy in T20 cricket, and to win by 27 runs shows the strength of their attack and the calm of captain Dipendra Singh Airee’s leadership in the field. With eight points from six matches, the Royals are firmly in the playoff hunt, and their remaining league fixtures will decide whether they can hold on to a top-four spot.

For Janakpur Bolts, the defeat is a heavy blow. Their bowlers, led by Harmeet Singh, did their job by restricting Sudurpaschim to 120, but the batting let them down badly. The Bolts’ top order has now failed in a chase that was there for the taking, and they will need to regroup quickly with the league stage running out of games. Their playoff hopes now depend on winning their remaining matches and on results elsewhere going their way.

The NPL 2026 league stage continues with more fixtures in Kirtipur, and both teams will be back in action soon as the race for the playoffs reaches its climax. Follow our NPL 2026 today match coverage for the latest fixtures, timings and venues, and read our earlier reports on the Sudurpaschim vs Chitwan result and the Biratnagar vs Janakpur result for the full picture of the season so far.

Note: No prediction article existed for this individual fixture on cricfacts.com, as the site covered it through the NPL today-match article, so no prediction pick applies to this report.