Kathmandu vs Biratnagar Match 15 Preview: Gorkhas vs Kings

Kathmandu meet Biratnagar in NPL Match 15 on Thursday evening at Kirtipur, with the head to head level at one win each and both sides chasing points.

Thursday evening brings a head to head tiebreaker of sorts at TU Ground, Kirtipur. Kathmandu Gorkhas face Biratnagar Kings in NPL Season 3 Match 15 on Thursday, 5 November 2026, starting at 5:00 PM NST. After nine matches, Kathmandu sit eighth with no points from one match, while Biratnagar sit fifth with two points from three matches. Karan KC captains Kathmandu with Monty Desai as head coach, and Sandeep Lamichhane captains Biratnagar with Dhammika Prasad as head coach. Past meetings stand level at one win each, and both were won by the chasing side, and the playing XIs are only confirmed at the toss.

Gorkhas searching

Kathmandu started the season with a defeat that exposed the batting. Janakpur bowled the Gorkhas out for 115 in 19.3 overs in Match 5 and chased the target in 17.2 overs to win by eight wickets. Bhim Sharki top scored with 33 runs, and captain Karan KC scored eight off 18 balls and bowled two overs for 18 runs without a wicket. Kathmandu batting never got going in that game, and the bowlers had too little to defend.

After nine matches, Kathmandu sit eighth with no points from one match and a net run rate of minus 0.942. Karan captains the side in all three seasons and leads the franchise with 25 NPL wickets, and Monty Desai coaches the team. David Warner signing is confirmed, while his arrival is not confirmed, and camp talk pointed at Match 10 as a possible arrival without ever becoming a confirmation. Kathmandu also play Karnali in Match 10 on Monday before this game, so Thursday form will carry one more result, and a win over Biratnagar would open their account and lift them toward the mid table pack.

Kings finding form

Biratnagar started the season with two defeats that still showed fight. Chitwan beat the Kings by eight runs in Match 2, defending 157 for three against Biratnagar’s 149 all out in 19.3 overs, and Karnali beat them by four wickets in Match 6 after Biratnagar had posted 186 for seven. Lokesh Bam scored 87 off 52 balls in that Karnali game, with nine sixes, and the total of 186 for seven would have won most games at Kirtipur. Angelo Mathews scored 31 off 23 balls in the same game and took three wickets for 25 runs, and Biratnagar left Match 6 with a batting display to build on even in defeat.

Saturday changed the mood. Match 8 against Sudurpaschim was reduced to five overs per side after rain, and Biratnagar posted 105 for two before holding Sudurpaschim to 70 for three to win by 35 runs. Shehan Jayasuriya scored 39 off 11 balls in that short game, and the win opened Biratnagar’s account after two defeats. After nine matches, the Kings sit fifth with two points and a net run rate of plus 0.544, the best among the sides on two points. Sandeep Lamichhane captains the side with an economy rate of 7.73 in Season 3, and Biratnagar also play Janakpur in Match 12 on Tuesday before this game, so Thursday form will carry one more result, and a win over Kathmandu would strengthen their playoff race place.

What to watch

Past meetings say this fixture stays close. Kathmandu and Biratnagar stand level at one win each, and both meetings were won by the chasing side. Kathmandu won the Season 1 meeting on 15 December 2024 by one wicket, reaching 120 for nine in 18.1 overs after Biratnagar had posted 117 in 19.5 overs. Biratnagar won the Season 2 meeting on 22 November 2025 by five wickets, chasing 134 for six with 135 for five in 17.1 overs. Thursday is the first meeting of Season 3, and the chasing side has won both times so far, so the toss on Thursday evening carries extra weight.

Captain against captain is the other thread. Karan leads Kathmandu in all three seasons and leads the franchise with 25 NPL wickets, while Sandeep captains Biratnagar and bowls with an economy rate of 7.73. Bam scored 87 off 52 balls with nine sixes against Karnali, and his power with the bat can take a game away in a few overs. Kathmandu batting, bowled out for 115 in their only game so far, has to answer the question Match 5 asked, while Biratnagar bowling has shown it can defend a total in a short game and fight in a high scoring one.

How to watch

NetTV streams the match worldwide, and Himalaya TV broadcasts it in Nepal. In India, Star Sports carries it on television and FanCode streams it. Tickets are sold through eSewa, the league’s exclusive ticketing partner, with General tickets at NPR 500 and Premium at NPR 1,000. All 28 league-stage matches of Season 3 are played at TU Ground, Kirtipur.