Chitwan vs Karnali Head to Head: Yaks Lead 2-1

Karnali against Chitwan is a rivalry of knockout consequences. Karnali won both Season 1 meetings, including the Eliminator that ended Chitwan’s season, Chitwan answered with their first-ever win over the Yaks in Season 2, and the head to head stands at two wins to one for Karnali. Both sides sit in the top three in Season 3, which makes their next meeting (Match 27 on the final league day, 15 November) a game that could decide the top of the table.

Karnali’s double, then Chitwan’s answer

Karnali struck first in Season 1, on 6 December 2024, chasing Chitwan’s 130 for 7 with 132 for 4 in 19.5 overs to win by six wickets. Ravi Bopara’s unbeaten 59 off 40 balls held Chitwan’s innings together, but Shikhar Dhawan’s 45 off 41 balls and Bipin Sharma’s three for 21 gave Karnali their first win of the season after two defeats — and handed Chitwan their first defeat after two wins.

Karnali struck again when it mattered more. In the Season 1 Eliminator on 18 December 2024, Karnali posted 175 for 6, with Jayakrishna Kolsawala’s 53 off 39 balls, Will Basisto’s 52 off 37 and Chadwick Walton’s 46 off 23 setting an imposing total, then bowled Chitwan out for 154 for 9 to win by 21 runs. Bopara’s 53 off 34 balls could not save Chitwan, Nandan Yadav’s death bowling claimed two wickets including Bopara’s, and Walton took player of the match as Karnali reached the second qualifier.

Chitwan’s answer came in Season 2, on 18 November 2025, when Karnali posted 166 for 3 behind Priyank Panchal’s 90 off 48 balls, with seven fours and six sixes, and Pawan Sarraf’s 27 off 16 late. Chitwan chased 171 for 6 in 19.1 overs to win by four wickets with five balls to spare, with Arjun Saud’s unbeaten eight sealing it with a towering six — Chitwan’s first-ever win over Karnali.

Top of the table in Season 3

Season 3 has both sides unbeaten and in the top three. Karnali sit first after six matches, with two wins from two, after beating Janakpur by 19 runs and Biratnagar in a record chase finished with one ball to spare, behind Sompal Kami’s 62 not out and four wickets in the second game. Chitwan sit third, with one win from one, after beating Biratnagar by eight runs behind Kamal Singh Airee’s four for 26 and Janneman Malan’s 70.

Sompal’s Karnali have kept their captain-marquee core together, with Gulshan Jha’s finishing and Bipin Sharma waiting for his chance, while Kushal Malla’s Chitwan lean on their bowling depth and Malan’s top-order power. Coaches Sohail Tanvir for Chitwan and Gyanendra Malla for Karnali face each other with both sides yet to lose — a run one of them must end on the final league day.

Match 27 could decide first place

Season 3 Match 27 on 15 November at TU Ground is the last league match of the season for both sides, and it arrives with the table tilted towards a top-spot decider. Karnali’s remaining league matches before Match 27 include Sudurpaschim on 6 November and Pokhara on 9 November, while Chitwan’s run-in includes Kathmandu on 9 November and Janakpur on 13 November.

If Karnali win, they will stretch their lead to three wins to one and confirm their hold on a fixture they have owned except for one chase. If Chitwan win, they will level the head to head at two wins each and carry the belief that the Season 2 chase was a turning point, not a one-off. Either way, the fixture’s habit of knockout consequences suggests another game with the table on the line.