The Kathmandu Gurkhas defeated the Karnali Yaks by three wickets in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) on Wednesday at the Tribhuvan Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, registering their first victory of the tournament.

Despite a valiant effort from Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who smashed 72 runs off 51 balls, Karnali could not defend their total of 149 runs in 20 overs. Dhawan’s innings, featuring four boundaries and five sixes, highlighted Karnali’s batting performance, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win.

Kathmandu, led by captain Karan KC, chased down the target with grit, handing Karnali their second consecutive loss in the tournament. Karnali had previously lost their opening match to Janakpur Bolts by eight wickets.

Dhawan’s brilliance included a flurry of boundaries off KC’s deliveries in the 18th over and two consecutive sixes in the 19th over off Nathan Souter. However, Karnali’s other batsmen struggled to build momentum. Chadwick Walton contributed 21 runs off 15 balls, while Gulsan Jha managed 12 runs off 19 balls.

For Kathmandu, Gerhard Erasmus and KC spearheaded the bowling attack. Erasmus took two wickets for 29 runs in four overs, while KC and others chipped in with key breakthroughs to restrict Karnali’s total.

This win came as a much-needed boost for Kathmandu, who had lost their opening match against Chitwan Rhinos by five wickets. With this result, Kathmandu climbs in the standings while Karnali faces mounting pressure in their upcoming matches.