T20-LEAGUE

CHR vs POA NPL 2026: Rijan Dhakal 4/24, Chitwan Win by 30

Published on November 6, 2026

Summary Overview: Chitwan Rhinos beat Pokhara Avengers by 30 runs in NPL 2026 at Kirtipur. Player of the Match Rijan Dhakal took 4 for 24, Kamal Singh Airee 3 for 7, and captain Sikandar Raza hit four sixes in 37 off 16. Pokhara, without Shakib Al Hasan, lost their last six wickets for 18 runs.

Who won? Chitwan Rhinos, by 30 runs at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. Chitwan made 151 for 6, and Pokhara Avengers were bowled out for 121 in 19 overs.

Who starred? Rijan Dhakal took 4 for 24, including two wickets in the last two balls of the match, and was named Player of the Match. Kamal Singh Airee took 3 for 7 from two overs, and captain Sikandar Raza smashed 37 off 16 with four sixes.

What went wrong for Pokhara? At 103 for 4 in the 15th over, they needed 49 from 32 balls. They then lost their last six wickets for 18 runs. It is their third defeat in a row.

Any team news? Pokhara made big changes. Chamika Karunaratne captained the side, Shakib Al Hasan was on the bench, and Canada's Yuvraj Samra played. For Chitwan, Kushal Malla and England's Dan Mousley came into the XI.

Match Report: Chitwan's Bowlers Close It Out

For readers new to cricket: in a T20 match, each team bats for up to 20 overs (an over is six legal deliveries). A team wins by runs when it bats first and the other side cannot reach its total.

Chitwan's Innings: Raza's Finish

Pokhara captain Chamika Karunaratne won the toss and chose to bowl. Arjun Saud (31 off 27) and Dawid Malan (28 off 28) put on 60 for the first wicket, but it took them nine overs, and Chitwan made 44 without loss in the powerplay.

Then Pokhara struck three times in eight balls. Bipin Khatri trapped Saud lbw, former captain Kushal Bhurtel bowled Malan, and Khatri had Dan Mousley caught. Chitwan were 63 for 3, and when Bhurtel removed Kushal Malla (11), they were 86 for 4 in the 15th over.

Ravi Bopara (35 off 28) and captain Sikandar Raza then turned the innings around, adding 60 off 28 balls. Raza hit four sixes in 37 off 16 before Karunaratne removed both of them in the final over. Chitwan finished on 151 for 6, scoring 65 runs after the fourth wicket fell.

Pokhara's Chase: Six Wickets for 18 Runs

Kamal Singh Airee had Bhurtel caught by Mousley in the first over, but Canada's Yuvraj Samra hit four fours in 19 off 14, and Pokhara made 55 for 2 in the powerplay, 11 more than Chitwan.

Arjun Kumal held the chase together with 45 off 44. Chitwan's bowlers kept things tight, with Kushal Malla bowling four overs for just 12 runs, but at 103 for 4 in the 15th over, Pokhara were still in the game.

Then Rijan Dhakal struck. He had Kiran Thagunna caught by Malla and Karunaratne caught behind, and Kamal Singh Airee returned to remove Kumal and Sudip Aryal in the same over. Rijan finished it with two wickets in the last two balls of the 19th over, having Arjun Gharti caught and bowling Sagar Dhakal. Pokhara were all out for 121.

Turning Point: The Raza and Bopara Stand

At 86 for 4 in the 15th over, Chitwan's innings had stalled. Raza and Bopara's 60 off 28 balls lifted them to 151, and with Pokhara falling 30 runs short, those late runs proved decisive.

Stat Corner

Top Performers

Player	Team	Performance
Rijan Dhakal	Chitwan Rhinos	4 for 24 (4 overs), Player of the Match
Kamal Singh Airee	Chitwan Rhinos	3 for 7 (2 overs, 1 maiden)
Sikandar Raza (c)	Chitwan Rhinos	37 (16), 2 fours, 4 sixes
Ravi Bopara	Chitwan Rhinos	35 (28), 3 fours, 1 six
Kushal Malla	Chitwan Rhinos	1 for 12 (4 overs), plus a catch
Dan Mousley	Chitwan Rhinos	1 for 10 (2 overs), plus 3 catches
Arjun Saud (wk)	Chitwan Rhinos	31 (27), plus 3 catches
Arjun Kumal	Pokhara Avengers	45 (44), 3 fours, 1 six
Bipin Khatri	Pokhara Avengers	2 for 22 (4 overs)
Kushal Bhurtel	Pokhara Avengers	2 for 26 (4 overs)
Chamika Karunaratne (c)	Pokhara Avengers	2 for 34 (4 overs)

How the Game Turned

Moment	Score
Chitwan's opening stand	60 for 0 (8.5 overs)
Three wickets in eight balls	60 for 0 to 63 for 3
Chitwan in trouble	86 for 4 (14.4 overs)
Raza and Bopara stand	60 off 28 balls for the 5th wicket
Chitwan total	151 for 6 (20 overs)
Pokhara's powerplay	55 for 2 (6 overs)
Pokhara in the game	103 for 4 (14.4 overs)
Six wickets for 18 runs	103 for 4 to 121 all out

Powerplay Comparison

Team	First 6 overs
Chitwan Rhinos	44 for 0
Pokhara Avengers	55 for 2

Playing XIs

Team	Playing XI
Chitwan Rhinos	Dawid Malan, Kushal Malla, Arjun Saud (wk), Ravi Bopara, Sikandar Raza (c), Dan Mousley, Bibek Yadav, Mousom Dhakal, Ranjit Kumar, Rijan Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee
Pokhara Avengers	Arjun Kumal, Yuvraj Samra, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kushal Bhurtel, Arjun Gharti (wk), Mahedi Hasan, Chamika Karunaratne (c), Kiran Thagunna, Sagar Dhakal, Bipin Khatri, Sudip Aryal

Changes: Chitwan brought in Kushal Malla and Dan Mousley for Dev Khanal and Tom Taylor. Pokhara brought in Yuvraj Samra, Sagar Dhakal and Sudip Aryal for Shakib Al Hasan, Bipin Acharya and Aakash Chand, and Chamika Karunaratne took over the captaincy from Kushal Bhurtel.

What's Next

Match	Date	Fixture	Nepal (NPT)	UTC	IST	PKT	ET
18th Match	Sat, Nov 7	Kathmandu Gurkhas vs Lumbini Lions	5:00 PM	11:15	4:45 PM	4:15 PM	6:15 AM
19th Match	Mon, Nov 9	Pokhara Avengers vs Karnali Yaks	12:30 PM	06:45	12:15 PM	11:45 AM	1:45 AM
20th Match	Mon, Nov 9	Chitwan Rhinos vs Kathmandu Gurkhas	5:00 PM	11:15	4:45 PM	4:15 PM	6:15 AM