Biratnagar Kings’ stunning run chase in their last league match against Sudurpaschim Royals helped them set up the first qualifier against the same team. Kings knocked down the target of 148 in just 11.5 Overs. It will be a rematch in many ways, but the stakes are even higher this time for both sides.

Sudurpaschim Royals looked the outright favourites not only to reach back-to-back NPL finals but also to win the coveted trophy—at least until they met Biratnagar Kings in their last league match. They suffered a six-wicket loss in a one-sided contest. The Kings needed to chase 148 inside 13.5 overs to go above Kathmandu Gorkhas on Net Run Rate. With nothing to lose, they went all guns blazing from the start.

Sam Heazlett (51) was promoted up the order with Faf du Plessis (50). The pair took the Royals bowlers to all parts of the ground, racing to 87/0 in the powerplay—the most in NPL history. Martin Guptill, who had missed three matches due to injury, returned to smash a fiery 22 off 9 before he was run out by Dipendra Singh Airee (who else could it be) on a no-ball situation. Pratish GC (13 off 3) finished the remarkable chase with consecutive sixes off Abinash Bohara.

The Royals had rested some of their players against the Kings, including Chris Lynn and Scott Kuggeleijn. Despite the loss, they still look like a formidable side. But the aura of invincibility they carried has cracked—there is a chink in their armour. They will be hoping it was just a one-off bad game. They also lost one league match last year. Perhaps it’s a timely wake-up call.

Binod Bhandari is their highest run-getter with 201 runs from seven outings. Aarif Sheikh (160) has provided solidity in the middle order. Skipper Dipendra Singh Airee is yet to notch up a fifty this season, and surprisingly, he has gone at 8.80 runs per over with the ball.

The Royals will be without their Australian overseas stars, Chris Lynn and Josh Brown. Lynn, expected to play the full season, was ruled out with an injury. They still have last year’s top performers, Harmeet Singh and Scott Kuggeleijn. Together, they have taken 18 wickets while keeping things tight. Puneet Mehra had a strong outing against Chitwan Tigers, picking up 3/14. He also has experience in Nepal’s domestic franchise tournaments. Dhruv Parashar is another overseas option in the Royals squad.

For the Kings, none of the batters has crossed 200 runs, but Basir Ahamad has scored 176 and already won them a game on his own with an unbeaten 62 against Karnali Yaks. Lokesh Bam is the second-highest contributor with 165 runs, including a sparkling 72 in the opening match against the Avengers.

Two of the tournament’s leading wicket-takers—Sandeep Lamichhane (15) and Abinash Bohara (14)—feature in this contest. Kings’ form has been slightly inconsistent in their last four matches, with two wins and two losses. But those two wins will give them serious belief and could make a big difference.

The Kings are likely to stick with the same team that played the last match. There could be a shuffle in the batting order, though. Lokesh Bam might come in at one-drop, with Sam Heazlett at four, allowing Guptill and du Plessis to open. Lamichhane has led the Kings with consistent performances—15 wickets at just 5.10 runs per over. De Lange, after an expensive first game, has bowled better in his opening spells in later matches but still has an economy of 8.43 and hasn’t taken a wicket in his last two outings. Pratish GC has also been expensive this season (only four wickets in seven games at 8.88). Surya Tamang (4 wickets at 7.25) was dropped for two matches before returning last game, where he went 0/29 in three overs.

Key Battle

This could come down to Sudurpaschim Royals’ bowling versus Biratnagar Kings’ top order. Three of the Kings’ four overseas players are batters, and they are likely to occupy the top four positions. Scott Kuggeleijn will return for this contest to strengthen the Royals’ attack. While most pace bowlers have struggled in this tournament, his economy rate of 6.00 is the best among the pacers (and the third-lowest among all bowlers with a minimum of 15 overs). The trio of Kuggeleijn, Bohara, and Harmeet will be up against Guptill, Heazlett, and du Plessis. A fascinating contest awaits.

Pitch and Conditions

The pitches were expected to be slightly better early on as they were fresh surfaces with some grass. Some high-scoring games did occur, but the surface slowed significantly after the first week, as expected. The average first-innings score this season has been 154, which is 10 runs more than last season’s 144.

Dew has played its part this season, with most matches being day-night fixtures. Although the ball still turned and gripped in the second innings, the dew did reduce the challenge slightly. This game starts at 4 PM. Dew wasn’t much of a factor in the last league match, which started slightly earlier (3:30 PM). It could again be a “win the toss and bowl first” surface—unless it is a used pitch that offers consistent spin throughout the match.

Two more fresh pitches were used in the third week of the tournament, so there is optimism for high-scoring games in the playoffs, much like last year. The Royals will aim to reach their second straight final, while the Kings will look to repeat their feat from a few days ago. With anticipation building, this is expected to be a cracking contest.