Pokhara meet Karnali in NPL Match 19 on Monday at Kirtipur, as the winless Avengers fight for first points and the Yaks chase the top four.
Monday brings the first game of a double-header at TU Ground, Kirtipur. Pokhara Avengers face Karnali Yaks in NPL Season 3 Match 19 on Monday, 9 November 2026, starting at 12:30 PM NST. After thirteen matches, Karnali sit third with four points from three matches and a net run rate of plus 0.295, while Pokhara sit last with no points from three matches and a net run rate of minus 1.770. Kushal Bhurtel captains Pokhara with Ajantha Mendis as head coach, and Sompal Kami captains Karnali with Gyanendra Malla as head coach. Both sides play on Friday first, with Pokhara facing Chitwan in Match 17 and Karnali facing Sudurpaschim in Match 16, so the picture on Monday will have moved on from the after-thirteen-match standings below. Playing XIs are only confirmed at the toss.
- Match: Pokhara Avengers vs Karnali Yaks, NPL Season 3 Match 19
- Date and time: Monday, 9 November 2026, 12:30 PM NST
- Venue: TU Ground, Kirtipur
- Captains: Kushal Bhurtel (Pokhara) and Sompal Kami (Karnali)
- Head coaches: Ajantha Mendis (Pokhara) and Gyanendra Malla (Karnali)
- Form after thirteen matches: Pokhara no points from three matches; Karnali four points from three matches
- Watch: NetTV worldwide, Himalaya TV in Nepal
- Double-header: first game of Monday’s double-header
Avengers searching for a first win
Pokhara batting has gone backwards across three games. Pokhara posted 145 for seven against Sudurpaschim in Match 4 and lost by six wickets, with Sudurpaschim chasing 148 for four in 16.5 overs. Pokhara posted 138 for nine against Janakpur in Match 9 and lost by nine runs, with Janakpur defending 147 for seven. Pokhara managed only 97 for nine against Lumbini in Match 13 and lost by eight wickets, with Lumbini chasing 98 for two in 11.4 overs. Totals of 145, 138 and 97 tell the story of a batting line up that has not found a platform, and Monday brings a Karnali bowling attack that has already defended 132 against Janakpur.
Bhurtel has led from the front without yet producing a match-winning innings. Bhurtel scored 21 off 17 balls against Sudurpaschim, 35 off 24 balls against Janakpur, and 14 off 20 balls against Lumbini, and his 35 against Janakpur stands as Pokhara’s top score in that game. Shakib Al Hasan gives Pokhara balance in both halves of the game, with 14 off 16 balls and one wicket for 24 runs against Sudurpaschim, followed by three wickets for 15 runs and nine off 17 balls against Janakpur. Chamika Karunaratne struck two sixes in his 25 off 17 balls against Lumbini before a direct hit ran him out, and Bipin Khatri finished as Pokhara’s only wicket-taker in that game with one wicket for 20 runs from two overs.
Bhurtel leads the side as captain with Mendis as head coach, and the pair need a batting performance that gives their bowlers a total to defend. Friday’s game against Chitwan comes first, and Monday’s picture will depend on that result, but the after-thirteen-match truth is stark: no points from three games, and a fourth straight defeat would leave Pokhara further adrift at the bottom. A Pokhara win on Monday would give the Avengers their first points and a foothold in the season.
Yaks building on batting depth
Karnali batting has produced runs in every game so far. Karnali posted 132 for nine against Janakpur in Match 3 and defended it to win by 19 runs, with Janakpur bowled out for 113 in 19.3 overs. Ariful scored 43 off 29 balls in that game and Unish Thakuri took three wickets for 22 runs and was named Player of the Match. Karnali then hunted down 187 against Biratnagar in Match 6 to win by four wickets with one ball left, after Biratnagar had posted 186 for seven. Gulshan Jha finished unbeaten on 28 off 21 balls in an unbroken stand with Sompal Kami, and the chase stands as the highest successful chase of the season so far.
Monday brought a warning. Karnali posted 180 for six against Kathmandu in Match 10 and lost by four wickets, with Kathmandu chasing 181 for six in 19.4 overs. Ariful scored 44 off 22 balls, Hussain Talat added 40 off 30 balls, and Bipin Sarraf finished unbeaten on 30 off 24 balls, yet even 180 proved short of safety at Kirtipur. Sompal took two wickets for 44 runs in that game and Talat took two for 32, but Kathmandu captain Karan KC scored 44 off 20 balls and took the game away. Ariful has passed 30 in all three matches, with 43 against Janakpur, 32 off 12 balls against Biratnagar, and 44 against Kathmandu, and his consistency at the top gives Karnali a platform against every attack.
Sompal leads the side as captain and marquee player, with Gyanendra Malla as head coach, and his four wickets for 33 runs against Biratnagar in Match 6 showed his value with the ball. One open question is whether David Miller, signed in October and on the bench in Match 10, gets a game during the Friday to Monday stretch. After thirteen matches, Karnali sit third with four points, and a win on Monday would strengthen their top-four push, while a defeat would drag them toward the logjam below.
What to watch
Pokhara batting against Karnali bowling is the central contest. Pokhara totals have fallen from 145 to 138 to 97, while Karnali bowling has defended 132 against Janakpur and taken four wickets through Sompal against Biratnagar. Thakuri took three wickets against Janakpur, and Karnali bowlers will test a Pokhara top order that has not fired yet. Bhurtel needs a big innings, and his 35 against Janakpur shows he can anchor an innings when he gets going.
Captain all-rounders shape the game from both sides. Bhurtel leads Pokhara and bats at the top of the order, while Sompal leads Karnali and bowls at key moments, and both captains will want a performance that lifts their side. Shakib gives Pokhara an all-round option, with three wickets against Janakpur and runs in both games he has played, and Karunaratne showed against Lumbini that he can clear the ropes. Monday brings a day game at Kirtipur, with the second game of the double-header to follow in the evening, and the side that handles the afternoon conditions better should take it.
Points give the game its edge. A Karnali win would strengthen the Yaks’ top-four push, while a Pokhara win would give the Avengers their first points and keep their season alive. Neither side can afford to treat Monday as a free hit.
Points table and fixtures
Updated standings appear on the NPL Season 3 points table, and every fixture and result appears on the NPL Season 3 matches page. NetTV streams the match worldwide, and Himalaya TV broadcasts it in Nepal. Tickets are sold through eSewa, with General tickets at NPR 500 and Premium at NPR 1,000. Monday evening brings the second game of the double-header, with Chitwan Rhinos facing Kathmandu Gorkhas at 5:00 PM NST at the same ground.
Monday, 9 November 2026, at 12:30 PM NST at TU Ground, Kirtipur. It is the first game of Monday’s double-header, with Chitwan facing Kathmandu in the evening game.
Kushal Bhurtel captains Pokhara with Ajantha Mendis as head coach, and Sompal Kami captains Karnali with Gyanendra Malla as head coach.
After thirteen matches, Pokhara have three defeats: a six wicket loss to Sudurpaschim, a nine run loss to Janakpur, and an eight wicket loss to Lumbini. Karnali have two wins and one defeat: a 19 run win over Janakpur, a four wicket win over Biratnagar, and a four wicket loss to Kathmandu. Both sides also play on Friday first, in Match 16 and Match 17.
NetTV streams it worldwide, and Himalaya TV broadcasts it in Nepal.
A Karnali win would strengthen the Yaks’ top-four push, while a Pokhara win would give the Avengers their first points of the season and keep their season alive.
