Biratnagar Kings vs Janakpur Bolts: NPL 2026 Match 12 Report

Updated Tue, 3 Nov 2026

Biratnagar Kings beat Janakpur Bolts by two runs in Match 12 of NPL 2026 at Kirtipur on Tuesday afternoon, 3 November. Andre Russell made an unbeaten 52 and then defended 13 in the final over. The full scorecard is on the match page.

Result

Bam and Imran Sheikh build, Russell finishes

Moeen Ali had Shehan Jayasuriya stumped in the first over, but that was Janakpur’s last success for more than 12 overs. Lokesh Bam and Imran Sheikh added 107 for the second wicket before Abhishek Tiwari had Imran caught by Anil Sah for 56 off 45 (five fours, two sixes). Bam reached 50 off 40 and fell to Tiwari at the end of the 18th over. Russell then took over: 52 not out off 29 balls with five sixes, and with Shubham Ranjane (7 not out) he added an unbroken 28 to reach 174 for 3.

Tiwari took 2 for 38. Captain Harmeet Singh went wicketless for 35 from his four overs, and James Neesham’s two overs cost 28.

Saif Hassan’s 71 not quite enough

Russell struck twice in the fifth over, removing Moeen for 10 and Anil Sah for a duck, after Angelo Mathews had bowled Trit Raj Das. Janakpur were 30 for 3. Saif Hassan and Bishal Shusling (43 off 30) added 76 for the fourth wicket, and Neesham’s 27 off 15 took Janakpur to 162 for 5 after 19 overs, needing 13. Rupesh Singh had removed Neesham on the last ball of the 19th. Russell then bowled the final over, taking Harmeet’s wicket on the second ball and Saif’s on the last. Saif made 71 off 48 balls with five sixes, the highest score of the match.

Key numbers

• 52* and 4 for 45: Russell’s all-round game. He now has 141 runs off 71 balls and 6 wickets this season.
• 188 runs: Lokesh Bam’s season total, still the most in NPL 2026.
• 7 wickets each for Angelo Mathews (2 for 25 here) and Moeen Ali, level with Sompal Kami at the top of the wicket-takers.
• Three catches for Basir Ahamad, including Saif off the final ball.
• 346 runs in the match, with 21 sixes.

What it means for the table

Biratnagar have now won two in a row and move to four points from four games, the same as Janakpur, whose two-match winning run ended here. Janakpur play defending champions Lumbini Lions on Thursday, 5 November at 12:30 PM NPT (preview). Biratnagar play Kathmandu Gorkhas that evening at 5:00 PM (preview). The live points table and playoff scenarios update after every match.