Sudurpaschim Beat Chitwan by 5 Wickets in NPL Match 11

Sudurpaschim beat Chitwan by 5 wickets in NPL Match 11 at Kirtipur, chasing 131 for 5 after Chitwan had posted 129 for 6, with Brandon McMullen scoring 43 off 21 balls and earning Player of the Match.

Monday’s second game ended Chitwan’s unbeaten start. Sudurpaschim Royals beat Chitwan Rhinos by five wickets in NPL Season 3 Match 11 at TU Ground, Kirtipur, on Monday, 2 November 2026. Chitwan posted 129 for 6 after Sudurpaschim won the toss and chose to bowl, and Sudurpaschim chased the target down for 131 for 5 in 16.4 overs. Brandon McMullen was named Player of the Match for 43 off 21 balls. Sudurpaschim have their second win of the season and climb to third place, while Chitwan have their first defeat after a win and a no-result.

McMullen breaks the chase open

Sudurpaschim’s chase was decided in one short burst at the top of the card. Brandon McMullen smashed 43 off 21 balls, with six fours and two sixes, and his innings took Sudurpaschim from 34 for 2 to 70 for 3 in the seventh over. McMullen fell in the seventh over, and captain Dipendra Singh Airee fell for a golden duck on the very next ball, and Sudurpaschim suddenly stood at 70 for 4 with the match back in the balance.

Ishan Pandey steadied the chase with 25 off 29 balls, and his innings carried Sudurpaschim from 70 for 4 to 103 for 5. Aarif Sheikh finished unbeaten on 20 off 26 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford finished unbeaten on 21 off 15 balls, and the unbeaten pair added 28 runs to see Sudurpaschim home for 131 for 5 in 16.4 overs. Binod Bhandari scored 11 off 7 balls, and Saif Zaib scored 2, and both fell early without stopping the chase.

Ranjit Kumar took 3 for 28 for Chitwan, and his double strike in the seventh over, removing McMullen and then Airee on consecutive balls, was the closest Chitwan came to winning the match. Rijan Dhakal took 1 for 18, and Mousom Dhakal took 1 for 19, and Chitwan’s bowlers kept the chase honest, but 129 for 6 was never quite enough on a ground where 180 had been chased earlier in the day.

Bopara’s 49 ends in a losing cause

Chitwan’s innings was built on one experienced hand. Ravi Bopara top scored with 49 off 40 balls, with three fours and two sixes, and his innings carried Chitwan from 27 for 2 to 113 for 5. Bopara passed 10,000 runs in all T20 cricket during his innings, and his milestone knock was the backbone of Chitwan’s total, but no other Chitwan batter passed 17.

Bibek Yadav scored 17 off 15 balls, and Dawid Malan scored 16 off 17 balls, and both fell before they could build on their starts. Arjun Saud, keeping wicket for Chitwan, scored 15 off 16 balls, and captain Sikandar Raza scored 15 off 20 balls, and Dev Khanal scored 7 off 7 balls. Tom Taylor finished unbeaten on 6 off 6 balls, and Chitwan closed on 129 for 6 in 20 overs.

Scott Kuggeleijn took 2 for 26 for Sudurpaschim, removing Saud and then Bopara, and his wickets broke Chitwan’s two most important partnerships. Hemant Dhami took 1 for 26, and Airee took 1 for 16 in three overs, and Anil Kharel took 1 for 18 in four overs, and Sudurpaschim’s bowlers shared the work without ever letting Chitwan escape. Chitwan had won their only completed match of the season before Monday, beating Biratnagar by 8 runs in Match 2, and Monday’s defeat is their first of Season 3.

Raza leads Chitwan in Malla’s absence

Sikandar Raza captained Chitwan on Monday, with regular captain Kushal Malla on the bench, and Raza’s leadership was tested from the first over. Raza’s bowlers kept Sudurpaschim to 70 for 4 in the seventh over, and Ranjit Kumar’s double strike gave Chitwan a genuine opening, but the total was too small to defend once Rutherford and Aarif settled.

Airee’s captaincy told a different story. Airee won the toss and chose to bowl, and his bowlers delivered 129 for 6, and his golden duck with the bat did not cost his side the match. Misbah-ul-Haq coached Sudurpaschim, and Sohail Tanvir coached Chitwan, and the captain’s contest went Airee’s way on Monday despite his duck.

Sudurpaschim had lost two of their first three matches, to Lumbini in Match 1 and to Biratnagar in Match 8, and Monday’s win is their second of the season. Chitwan had started with a win over Biratnagar and a no-result against Lumbini, and Monday’s defeat leaves Chitwan on three points from three matches.

Table takes shape after Match 11

Sudurpaschim climb to third place on four points from four matches, level with Karnali and Janakpur, who also have four points each. Karnali still lead the table, and Janakpur sit second, and Sudurpaschim’s win puts three teams on four points at the top. Lumbini and Chitwan have three points each, and Biratnagar and Kathmandu have two points each. Pokhara remain without a point from two matches.

Biratnagar face Janakpur on 3 November, and Lumbini face Pokhara on 3 November, both at TU Ground, Kirtipur. NetTV streams the matches worldwide, and Himalaya TV broadcasts them in Nepal. Tickets are sold through eSewa, the league’s exclusive ticketing partner, with General tickets at NPR 500 and Premium at NPR 1,000.