Biratnagar Kings beat Janakpur Bolts by 2 runs in NPL Match 12 as Andre Russell’s 52 not out and 4 for 45 sealed a last-over thriller at Kirtipur.
Biratnagar Kings defended 174 for 3 against Janakpur Bolts at TU Ground in Kirtipur on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, winning Match 12 by two runs in a finish that went to the final ball. Janakpur Bolts needed 13 runs from the last over with five wickets in hand. Andre Russell bowled that over, conceded 10 runs, removed captain Harmeet Singh and Saif Hassan, and closed out a second win of the season for Biratnagar Kings. Russell had already shaped the match with the bat, finishing unbeaten on 52 from 29 balls. Saif Hassan kept Janakpur Bolts in the chase with 71 from 48 balls, and Abhisekh Tiwari stood unbeaten on 5 when the last ball dismissed Saif. Two runs separated the sides after 40 overs of cricket.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | Match 12, Nepal Premier League Season 3 |
| Date | Tuesday, 3 November 2026 |
| Venue | TU Ground, Kirtipur |
| Toss | Janakpur Bolts won the toss and elected to field |
| Result | Biratnagar Kings won by 2 runs |
| Scores | Biratnagar Kings 174 for 3 (20 overs); Janakpur Bolts 172 for 7 (20 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Andre Russell — 52 not out off 29 balls and 4 wickets for 45 runs |
| Points impact | Biratnagar move to 4 points and top spot on net run rate (+0.408); Janakpur stay on 4 points (+0.099) |
Russell closes out the final over
Janakpur Bolts began the final over on 162 for 5, needing 13 runs from six balls. Andre Russell took the ball for Biratnagar Kings. Saif Hassan took a single from the first ball. Harmeet Singh fell from the second ball without scoring, after facing one ball. Abhisekh Tiwari struck a four from the third ball and took a single from the fourth ball. Saif Hassan struck a four from the fifth ball, leaving Janakpur Bolts needing three runs from the last ball. Saif Hassan was dismissed from the final ball after scoring 71 from 48 balls, and Janakpur Bolts finished on 172 for 7. Russell conceded 10 runs from the over and took two wickets in it.
Russell finished with four wickets for 45 runs from four overs. Moeen Ali fell to Russell for 10 from 14 balls. Anil Sah fell to Russell without scoring from two balls. Harmeet Singh fell to Russell without scoring from one ball in the final over. Saif Hassan fell to Russell from the final ball of the match. Russell claimed his four wickets across the innings, from the early overs through the final ball, and his all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
Three fifties carry Biratnagar to 174
Biratnagar Kings lost Shehan Jayasuriya early, stumped from the bowling of Moeen Ali for one run from three balls. Lokesh Bam and Imran Sheikh rebuilt the innings. Bam scored 50 from 40 balls, with three fours and three sixes. Imran Sheikh scored 56 from 45 balls, with five fours and two sixes. Abhisekh Tiwari dismissed both batters, finishing with two wickets for 38 runs from four overs. Bam fell with the total on 146 for 3.
Andre Russell and Shubham Ranjane finished the innings unbeaten. Russell scored 52 from 29 balls, with two fours and five sixes. Ranjane scored seven from five balls, with one four. Biratnagar Kings added 28 runs from the last 12 balls and closed on 174 for 3. Eight extras helped the total. Tiwari and Moeen Ali were the only Janakpur Bolts bowlers to take wickets, with Moeen Ali finishing on one wicket for 13 runs from two overs.
Saif Hassan carries Janakpur close
Janakpur Bolts lost early wickets in the chase. Moeen Ali scored 10 from 14 balls before falling to Russell. Trit Raj Das scored six from nine balls before falling to Angelo Mathews. Anil Sah fell to Russell without scoring from two balls. Bishal Shusling rebuilt the chase with 43 from 30 balls, with two fours and three sixes, before falling to Mathews. Mathews finished with two wickets for 25 runs from three overs.
James Neesham struck 27 from 15 balls, with three sixes, before falling to Rupesh Singh. Rupesh Singh finished with one wicket for 21 runs from two overs. Saif Hassan anchored the chase with 71 from 48 balls, with two fours and five sixes. Abhisekh Tiwari finished unbeaten on five from two balls, with one four. Sandeep Lamichhane bowled four overs for 27 runs without a wicket. Janakpur Bolts closed on 172 for 7, two runs short of the 175-run target, and 10 extras were added to the Janakpur Bolts total.
Points table after Match 12
Biratnagar Kings moved to four points from four matches and climbed to the top of the standings on net run rate, at plus 0.408. Karnali Yaks sit second on four points from three matches, at plus 0.295. Janakpur Bolts stay on four points from four matches, at plus 0.099, in third place. Sudurpaschim Royals hold fourth place on four points from four matches, at minus 1.064. Lumbini Lions sit fifth on three points from two matches, at plus 4.599. Chitwan Rhinos sit sixth on three points from three matches, at minus 0.486. Kathmandu Gorkhas sit seventh on two points from two matches, at minus 0.466. Pokhara Avengers sit eighth with no points from two matches, at minus 0.934.
Match 12 was the fifth match of the season won by the side defending a total, against six wins for chasing sides from 11 completed matches. Biratnagar Kings recorded their second win of the season, after beating Sudurpaschim Royals by 35 runs in Match 8. Janakpur Bolts recorded their second defeat of the season, after losing to Karnali Yaks by 19 runs in Match 3. Attention turns to Match 14 between Lumbini Lions and Janakpur Bolts and Match 15 between Kathmandu Gorkhas and Biratnagar Kings on Thursday, 5 November. Updated standings appear on the NPL Season 3 points table, and every result so far appears on the NPL Season 3 matches page
Biratnagar Kings beat Janakpur Bolts by two runs at TU Ground in Kirtipur on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. Biratnagar Kings scored 174 for 3, and Janakpur Bolts finished on 172 for 7.
Andre Russell was Player of the Match. Russell scored 52 not out from 29 balls and took four wickets for 45 runs from four overs.
Janakpur Bolts needed 13 runs from the last over. Russell conceded 10 runs and took two wickets in the over, and Saif Hassan was dismissed from the final ball.
Saif Hassan scored the most runs in the match, with 71 from 48 balls for Janakpur Bolts. Imran Sheikh scored 56 from 45 balls for Biratnagar Kings, and Russell finished unbeaten on 52 from 29 balls.
Russell dismissed Moeen Ali and Anil Sah early in the chase. Russell dismissed Harmeet Singh and Saif Hassan in the final over. Russell finished with four wickets for 45 runs from four overs.
Biratnagar Kings moved to four points and top spot on net run rate. Janakpur Bolts stayed on four points in third place. Karnali Yaks sit second on four points, and Sudurpaschim Royals hold fourth place on four points.
