Biratnagar Kings are not immortal. This much was clear when Chitwan Rhinos handed the Kings their first defeat of the season by 48 runs at the only match of Match Day 9 at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur, Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Starting the second season of the Nepal Premier League by posting the tournament’s first-ever 200+ total, Biratnagar Kings had defeated Pokhara Avengers by 53 runs on November 18. They then raised the bar defeating Kathmandu Gorkhas and Janakpur Bolts by five wickets and nine runs on November 22 and 24, respectively.

However, Biratnagar Kings’ winning streak ground to a halt on Wednesday.

Ravi Bopara—Mr consistent

Ravi Bopara, the former English international, was recalled by the Rhinos for the second season. The second-highest run scorer of the inaugural season, Bopara, who had smashed 286 runs in eight innings in 2024, has taken his second season’s run tally to 183 runs after a 65 off 38 against Biratnagar.

Wednesday’s fifty for Bopara, who was never dismissed without taking his individual score to double figures in the first season, was his third successive in the second season. He had scored a 52 off 36 against Karnali Yaks and a 66 off 55 against Lumbini Lions before the 65-run knock that propelled the Rhinos to 174/5 against Biratnagar.

In his three matches of the season, Bopara has hit 10 fours and 10 sixes.

“It is to wait and adapt,” Bopara said when asked about the reason behind his consistency in the post-match presentation on November 20. “Starting to hit big from the very first delivery does not always go right.”

Bopara had entered the crease against Biratnagar after Chitwan were down by three wickets in the 9th over. And he tried to understand the pitch and its behaviour before hitting his first boundary—a six, which he hit in the 11th delivery he was facing. It was the spell of youngster Naren Bhatta in the 12th over, and Bopara ended it with two more sixes, that too in a consecutive fashion, which took him to 27 off 13.

Bopara was lucky on Wednesday, getting dropped at 4 off 4 in 9.5 overs by Pratish GC. He finally departed in 19.4 overs, getting caught out by debutant Sam Heazlett in the spell of Shubham Ranjane, with the team’s total at 171/5.

Except for opener Deepak Bohara (5 off 5), none of the other Chitwan batters departed without contributing in double figures. Dawid Malan (17 off 9), Dev Khanal (28 off 22) and Saif Zaib (32 off 30) were the other wickets that fell for Chitwan, with Kushal Malla (20 off 14) and Amar Routela (3 off 2) not out.

Of the eight bowlers used by Biratnagar, Marchant de Lange and Sandeep Lamichhane bagged two wickets each, while Ranjane picked one.

Ranjeet Kumar’s fifer

Chitwan Rhinos’ young spinner Ranjeet Kumar was the hero for the team. He had only picked two wickets in his five matches for the Rhinos in the first season. But in his first match for the team in the second season, Kumar bagged a fifer.

He is only the sixth bowler in the NPL, after Sohail Tanvir, Naren Saud, Harsh Thaker, William Bosisto and Scott Kuggeleijn, to bag a fifer. However, he was the first to pick a five-wicket haul in the second season.

“I knew I was going to make a major impact today,” Kumar said after the win over Biratnagar. “I was certain I would help my team win anyhow, either by bowling or fielding.”

Kumar sent Biratnagar’s Naren Bhatta (4 off 10), Heazlett (22 off 11), Basir Ahamad (0 off 2), Narayan Joshi (4 off 14) and Surya Tamang (0 off 1) back to the pavilion. Heazlett was the only batter out of the top eight to score in double figures. It was thanks to the two pacers—de Lange (39 off 22) and Pratish GC (30 off 12)—that the Kings crossed the 100-run mark.

All of the five bowlers used by the Rhinos picked at least one wicket. Tanvir, Zaib and Malla took one each, while Kamal Singh Airee claimed two wickets to bundle out the Kings at 126 runs in 16.5 overs.

“It was a bad day for us,” Kings’ coach Dhammika Prasad, the former Sri Lankan international, said after the loss. “The top order collapse was a major setback.”

The win, which was their second in three matches, has propelled the Rhinos to the top four. The Kings, on the other hand, are not much troubled as it was their first loss in four matches.

There are two fixtures on Thursday. Sudurpaschim Royals, who are also in a three-match winning streak, will be put on test against Lumbini Lions in the first game of the day, and it will be followed by Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers. Defending champions Bolts and Avengers, who have suffered losses in both of their previous fixtures, will be looking for their first win of the season.