Combined batting effort and applaudable bowling from Avinash Karn helped Mahendranagar United to start the competition on high, beating Biratnagar Kings by 33 runs.
Winning the toss, Mahendranagar United elected to bat first. Skipper Binod Bhandari, whose bat was silent since long ago, decided to bat at top order and came out to open the inning for United along with Aasif Sheikh. It wasn’t a good day in the office for Aasif Sheikh who finally ended his struggling inning during 8th over, scoring 9 runs off 18 balls. Where on other ends, Bhandari was timing it well and contributed 70% of runs in 50 runs stand for the first wicket. Bhandari’s 35’s runs innings included 5 fours and a hit over the rope. Both the openers left the battlefield in successive delivery then, Bista and Hari Shankar Shah added 34 runs for 3rd wickets. Shah (19) anchor the partnership where Bista was accelerating the partnership, scored 24 runs off 14 balls. Then, Mehra, who batted at no.6 topped the United’s scorecard with unbeaten 38 runs off 18 balls with 2 fours and 3 huge sixes. Aarif Sheikh (20) and Rohit Paudel (09)* were other notable performers with the bat for United. Hence, combined effort from most of the United’s batsmen helped them to post 168 runs on board with the lost of 5 wickets in stipulated 20 overs. Manjeet Shrestha was pick of the bowler for Kings, who picked 2 wickets expensing 30 runs in his bowling spell of 4 overs. He sent back Hari Shankar Shah and Aarif Sheikh to registered two wickets in his name. Kamat and Khadka too picked up a wicket each to fill their respective Wicket’s column.
Dilip Nath (10) and Anil Kumar Sah (23) came out to open the inning for Kings, added 29 runs for first wicket before Avinash Karn uprooted Nath’s stump. Babar Hayat batted at no.3 and worked on Biratnagar’s run rate with destructive 32 runs in his short inning of 10 balls. He trashed bowler all around the park with 4 sixes and 2 fours. After then, no one expect Baskola (35) and Khadka (16) could show some fight. Kamat (04), Shrestha (09), Sarraf (00), Khanal (01), Regmi (00) and Giri (01) disappointed Biratnagar’s top order and spoiled out their hard work. Terrific batting collapsed resulted, Kings bundled-out on the score of 135 runs in 19th over to handed 33 runs victory to United. For United, Avinash Karn picked three wickets. Mehra, Karki, and Chhetri managed to hold on with two wickets each where Shah chipped in with a wicket.
Kings will lock horn against Rupandehi Challengers where United will face Team Chauraha Dhangadhi on April 3rd.
