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Results
Match 2: Chitwan Rhinos beat Kathmandu Gurkhas by 5 wickets
Match 5: Chitwan Rhinos beat Pokhara Avengers by 87 runs
Match 10: Karnali Yaks beat Chitwan Rhinos by 6 wickets
Match 15: Chitwan Rhinos beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 33 runs
Points table
The Rhinos have won three of their four matches and are currently third on the NPL 2024 table with a healthy net run rate. With three more matches to go in the group stage, they are certainly one of the contenders to qualify for the playoffs.
Top performers for the Rhinos
Ravi Bopara: The veteran England all-rounder has brought all his experience into the tournament and has played a pivotal role in keeping the Rhinos well-placed. Barring the first game against the Gurkhas, where he scored just 11 and went wicketless, he has followed that up with scores of 51, 59* and 36. The former England international is the third-highest run-getter in the tournament with 157 runs at 52.33 to go with a strike rate of nearly 150.
Sohail Tanvir: Another veteran cricketer, Sohail Tanvir, showed his class, especially in the first two games, where he had combined figures of 8/27. He picked up a wicket off the first ball of his spell in the first two games against the Gurkhas and the Avengers. In fact, he is the first bowler to pick up a fifer in the NPL and has also picked up three wickets in an over once. He came in as a replacement for Marchant de Lange and is surely making his time in Nepal count.
He is currently the leading wicket-taker in NPL 2024, with nine scalps at 7.44 and an economy rate of 4.67.
Rijan Dhakal: Another left-arm pacer from the Rhinos camp who is making an impact is Rijan Dhakal. He might be in the shadows of Tanvir, but there is no doubt that he, too, is having an excellent campaign, having picked up six wickets already. He was the Player of the Match for his spell of 3/10 against the Avengers and is gaining confidence with every passing match. Don't be surprised if he features for Nepal regularly in their upcoming fixtures.
Kushal Malla: The captain of the Rhinos has played a couple of cameos in NPL 2024 so far, but more importantly, he has stitched together a couple of useful partnerships with Bopara to put his team in a good position. Against the Avengers, the Rhinos had lost three wickets in the powerplay, and Malla played a useful hand of 38 off 23, putting on 68 off 48 to help his side to a match-winning 161/7.
In the next match against the Yaks, the situation was similar. At 22/3 at the start of the sixth over, Malla and Bopara put on a vital 60 off 49 to give the Rhinos a chance. It was an un-Malla-like innings, with him contributing 23 off 27, but that was the need of the hour. Moreover, his left-arm spin has also fetched him four wickets at an ER of 4.53.
Hassan Eisakhil: Mohammad Nabi's 18-year-old son Hassan Eisakhil did not get off to the best of starts and was, in fact, dropped after a couple of poor scores. But in the recent match against the Royals, Eisakhil bode his time initially before teeing off to finish with 65 off 52. His knock proved to be crucial in the end, allowing the Rhinos to claim a 33-run victory and, with that, managing to win their third game of the season.
Who has the most fantasy points?
Sohail Tanvir has the most points for the Chitwan Rhinos. Overall, he has the third most after the first 15 games, with only Harsh Thaker (312) and Rohit Paudel (358) securing more points.
Remaining fixtures for Rhinos (Round-robin stage)
vs Lumbini Lions, Dec 10 (Tuesday), 8.45 AM IST
vs Biratnagar Kings, Dec 13 (Friday), 12.45 PM IST
vs Janakpur Bolts, Dec 14 (Saturday), 12.45 PM IST
You can make your fantasy team for all Chitwan Rhinos matches and also for other matches in the NPL 2024 right here on Cricket.com. Download the app now.
