Sudurpaschim Royals vs Karnali Yaks: NPL 2026 Match 16 Preview
Updated
Sudurpaschim Royals play Karnali Yaks in Match 16 of NPL 2026 on Friday, 6 November at 12:30 PM NPT (12:15 PM IST) at the TU Ground, Kirtipur. Both teams have four points. Live score and scorecard: match page.
Form guide
| Team | 2026 so far | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| Sudurpaschim Royals | L v Lumbini by 7 wkts, W v Pokhara by 6 wkts, L v Biratnagar by 35 runs (5 overs), W v Chitwan by 5 wkts | 4 |
| Karnali Yaks | W v Janakpur by 19 runs, W v Biratnagar by 4 wkts, L v Kathmandu by 4 wkts | 4 |
Form as of 3 November; Matches 12 to 15 are played before this game.
Sudurpaschim: the bowlers have found their rhythm
Sudurpaschim held Chitwan to 129 for 6 on Monday (report), and Anil Kharel is the reason they keep doing it: 6 wickets for 50 runs this season. Captain Dipendra Singh Airee leads the batting with 79 runs and has three wickets with his off-spin. Brandon McMullen (67 off 35) gives them the fast start they lacked in the opener. The weakness is net run rate, −1.065, which could matter if the race for fourth comes down to it.
Karnali: runs at the top, Sompal Kami with the ball
Karnali have scored the most runs of any team (499 in three games). Ariful Islam Jony has 119 off 63 balls and Pawan Sarraf 103, second only to Lokesh Bam in the season’s run list. Captain Sompal Kami is the leading wicket-taker of NPL 2026 with 7, and has 64 runs at better than a run a ball. Hussain Talat adds five wickets. Their defeat to Kathmandu (report) came after they let 21 runs go in the last 12 balls.
The key contest
Ariful Islam against Kharel in the powerplay. Ariful scores at almost two runs a ball. Kharel has conceded only 50 runs in his six-wicket season. Whoever wins the first six overs will likely decide the total.
What is at stake
The winner goes to six points and into the top two, depending on Matches 12 to 15. For Sudurpaschim, a big win would also start to repair their net run rate. Every route to the top four is on the playoff scenarios page. Watch details are in our how to watch guide.
FAQ
What time is Sudurpaschim Royals vs Karnali Yaks?
12:30 PM Nepal Time (12:15 PM IST) on Friday, 6 November 2026, at the TU Ground in Kirtipur.
Who captains Sudurpaschim Royals and Karnali Yaks?
Dipendra Singh Airee captains Sudurpaschim Royals and Sompal Kami captains Karnali Yaks.
Who is the leading wicket-taker in NPL 2026?
Sompal Kami of Karnali Yaks, with 7 wickets after Match 11. Anil Kharel of Sudurpaschim is next with 6.
How many points do Sudurpaschim and Karnali have?
Four each after Match 11: two wins and two defeats for Sudurpaschim, two wins and one defeat for Karnali.
Stroke