Sudurpaschim vs Karnali Match 16 Preview: Top-Four Clash

Sudurpaschim meet Karnali in NPL Match 16 on Friday at Kirtipur, as two sides on four points fight for ground in the top-four race.

Friday brings the first game of a double-header at TU Ground, Kirtipur. Sudurpaschim Royals face Karnali Yaks in NPL Season 3 Match 16 on Friday, 6 November 2026, starting at 12:30 PM NST. After thirteen matches, both sides sit on four points: Karnali third with a net run rate of plus 0.295 from three matches, and Sudurpaschim fifth with a net run rate of minus 1.064 from four matches. Dipendra Singh Airee captains Sudurpaschim with Misbah-ul-Haq as head coach, and Sompal Kami captains Karnali with Gyanendra Malla as head coach. A win on Friday would take either side to six points and into the top two conversation, while a defeat would leave the loser stuck on four points with the chasing pack closing in. Playing XIs are only confirmed at the toss.

• Match: Sudurpaschim Royals vs Karnali Yaks, NPL Season 3 Match 16
• Date and time: Friday, 6 November 2026, 12:30 PM NST
• Venue: TU Ground, Kirtipur
• Captains: Dipendra Singh Airee (Sudurpaschim) and Sompal Kami (Karnali)
• Head coaches: Misbah-ul-Haq (Sudurpaschim) and Gyanendra Malla (Karnali)
• Form after thirteen matches: Sudurpaschim four points from four matches; Karnali four points from three matches
• Watch: NetTV worldwide, Himalaya TV in Nepal
• Double-header: first game of Friday’s double-header

Royals chasing a second straight win

Sudurpaschim opened the season with a heavy defeat. Lumbini bowled the Royals out for 87 in the season opener on 26 October and chased the target in 9.5 overs to win by seven wickets. Anil Kharel took two wickets for nine runs in that game, and his early strikes showed the same threat with the ball that Sudurpaschim will need again on Friday. Sudurpaschim answered the opening defeat with a six wicket win over Pokhara in Match 4, chasing 148 for four in 16.5 overs after Pokhara had posted 145 for seven. Captain Dipendra Singh Airee led that chase with 51 not out off 36 balls and was named Player of the Match, and the win steadied a campaign that had started badly.

Saturday brought a different kind of defeat. Match 8 against Biratnagar was reduced to five overs per side after rain, and Sudurpaschim lost by 35 runs after Biratnagar posted 105 for two and held the Royals to 70 for three. Abinash Bohara took two wickets for 28 runs in that short game, and the defeat left Sudurpaschim with a net run rate problem that still shapes their season. Monday brought a response. Sudurpaschim beat Chitwan by five wickets in Match 11, chasing 131 for five in 16.4 overs after Chitwan had posted 129 for six. Brandon McMullen scored 43 off 21 balls and was named Player of the Match, while Sherfane Rutherford finished unbeaten on 21 and Aarif Sheikh stayed with him on 20 not out in an unbroken stand that closed the chase.

Airee has 79 runs from four matches, built on 27 off 23 balls in the opener and 51 not out against Pokhara, followed by one run off five balls in the five over game and a golden duck against Chitwan. Airee has also taken wickets in three of his four games, with one wicket for 31 runs against Lumbini, one for 21 against Pokhara, and one for 16 against Chitwan. Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets for 26 runs against Chitwan, and Bohara struck twice in the short game against Biratnagar. A win over Karnali would take Sudurpaschim to six points and back into the top four conversation, while a defeat would leave them on four points from five matches with a net run rate still below zero.

Yaks hunting a third win

Karnali started with a win built on bowling discipline. 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. Unish Thakuri took three wickets for 22 runs and was named Player of the Match, while Ariful scored 43 off 29 balls at the top of the order. Karnali then produced the chase of the season so far against Biratnagar in Match 6, hunting down 187 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 win took Karnali to the top of the table.

Monday brought a first defeat. 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. After thirteen matches, Karnali sit third with four points from three matches, and a win on Friday would take them to six points and firmly into the top two.

Ariful has passed 30 in all three matches so far, with 43 against Janakpur, 32 off 12 balls against Biratnagar, and 44 against Kathmandu, and his form at the top gives Karnali a platform in every game. 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 his first game on Friday. A Karnali win would keep the Yaks ahead of Sudurpaschim on points, while a defeat would drop them level with the Royals and drag them toward the logjam below.

What to watch

Captain all-rounders shape this game from both sides. Airee leads Sudurpaschim and bats in the middle order, while Sompal leads Karnali and bowls at key moments, and both captains will want a big performance after mixed weeks with the bat. Airee follows a golden duck against Chitwan, and his 51 not out against Pokhara stands as proof of what he can do when he gets going. Sompal follows a defeat in which his side posted 180 and still lost, and his four wicket haul against Biratnagar stands as proof of what he can do with the ball.

Karnali chasing is the other thread. Karnali hunted down 187 against Biratnagar in Match 6, the highest successful chase of the season so far, and Sudurpaschim bowling will need early wickets to stop a repeat. Kuggeleijn took two wickets against Chitwan, Bohara struck twice in the short game against Biratnagar, and Kharel took wickets in the opener, so Sudurpaschim have bowlers who can strike early at Kirtipur. Karnali bowling has shown the same threat, with Thakuri taking three wickets against Janakpur and Sompal taking four against Biratnagar.

Points give the game its edge. A Sudurpaschim win would lift the Royals to six points and past Karnali on points, while a Karnali win would lift the Yaks to six points and keep them in the top two hunt. Neither side can afford to treat Friday as a free hit, and the side that handles the day game conditions better should take it.

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. Friday evening brings the second game of the double-header, with Chitwan Rhinos facing Pokhara Avengers at 5:00 PM NST at the same ground.