Karnali Yaks set a target of 150-run for Kathmandu Gurkhas, with a half-century by Shikhar Dhawan at the ongoing Nepal Premier League at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur on Wednesday.

Winning the toss Kathmandu’s captain Karan KC elected to field first, Karnali scored 149 runs at the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs.

Shikhar Dhawan was the star of the innings, scoring 72 runs off 51 balls, hitting 4 fours and 5 sixes. Dhawan reached his half-century in 42 balls, smashing a six and a four off consecutive deliveries from Karan KC in the 18th over. In the 19th over, he hit Nathan Sowter for two consecutive sixes off the first two balls.

Karan KC gave Kathmandu an early breakthrough, dismissing Dev Khanal for a duck in the very first over in LBW. Chadwick Walton contributed 21 runs off 15 balls (5 fours), before being caught by Karan KC off the bowling of JJ Smit. Babar Hayat managed 13 [off 18 balls] and Gulsan Jha 12 [off 19 balls]. Arjun Gharti was bowled for 4 runs by Nathan Sowter.

Kathmandu Gurkhas JJ Smit took 2 wickets for 29 runs in 4 overs while Karan KC, Dipesh Kandel and Nathan Sowter took a single wicket each.

In their previous matches, Kathmandu lost to Chitwan Rhinos by 5 wickets, while Karnali suffered an 8-wicket defeat against Janakpur Bolts.