MATCH STORY
Follow UsThe first game of the day between Sudurpaschim Royals and Biratnagar Kings saw Dipendra Singh Airee tee off to help his side get a mammoth 192. As a result, the Royals became the first side in the tournament to win a match, batting first in the Nepal Premier League (NPL).
The common feature of the TU Cricket Ground has been that batting is tougher in the earlier stages of the day, and as the day progresses, the batters get into the game. However, game one completely changed that narrative.
Chitwan Rhinos, playing their second game of the tournament in as many days, also found out that it was not easy to get going in the powerplay. In fact, they lost three wickets in the first six, which is far from ideal in T20s. However, on the flip side, that brought together the enigmatic Kushal Malla and a T20 veteran, Ravi Bopara.
Bopara, who is known for his calmness with the bat and his ability to steer the game away from the opposition with his strokeplay, managed just seven runs from his first nine deliveries. But that one six off Raymon Reifer in the eighth over turned things around for him.
From there on, he managed to find the boundaries with a little bit more ease but played second fiddle to Malla, who hit two sixes off his first five deliveries.
He showed no signs of slowing down, taking down the pacers and also the leg-spinner Matt Critchley. Pokhara captain Kushal Bhurtel smartly did not get the left-arm spinners Sagar Dhakal or Bipin Khatri on against Malla, given his prowess against left-arm spin
However, in the 14th over, when nothing was working, he had to go back to Dhakal when the partnership was threatening to take the match away from his side. Malla could not resist, and he looked to clear the mid-wicket fence, but Bhurtel took a good catch there to bring an end to the 48-ball 68-run stand for the fourth wicket.
The partnership gave the Rhinos a chance to reach 175-180 or beyond, but once the stand was broken, they managed just 47 off 40. By then, the Avengers had figured out that taking the pace off and bowling wide outside off was key, a cue that the Rhinos could take when they bowl.
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