Kathmandu Gorkhas on Monday extended their winning streak against Karnali Yaks. In fact, the Gorkhas have never lost a match against Yaks in Nepal Premier League so far.

Kathmandu had defeated Karnali by three wickets in the first season and by five wickets in the second season. In the third, the Gorkhas won by four wickets. 

Winning the toss and electing to field first, the Gorkhas were not able to put up a good effort with the ball. 

A fiery start by Ariful Islam (44 off 22) followed by a 65-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Hussain Talat (40 off 30) and Pawan Sarraf (30 off 24) and a cameo by Gulshan Kumar Jha (20 off 12) saw the Yaks post a defendable total of 180/6.

Skipper Karan KC bagged two wickets for the Gorkhas, while Shahab Alam, Jahandad Khan, Dev Shah and Santosh Yadav picked one each. 

It was only the second time in the third season that a team posted a target over 180. In the first instance, Biratnagar Kings had posted 186/7 on the board and the Yaks had chased it with one ball to spare. It is why the Yaks knew that their target of 181 was not safe if they allowed the Gorkhas to play throughout the 20 overs.

“We had planned to restrict them to 150-160,” KC, the player of the match, said in the post-match press conference. “But when the target came of 181, we were still confident.”

And as the Gorkhas kept batting by protecting the wickets, they chased 181 with two balls and four wickets to spare.

It was not a good start for the Gorkhas with the bat as the much-anticipated David Warner got out early. Warner (16 off 10), who was trying a cover drive, got clean bowled by Sompal Kami, the Karnali skipper, in the last ball of the second over.

There was a big gap between the bat and the pads when Warner played that shot. And Kami’s delivery, which was coming inside after pitching on the off side, found the stumps. Kami ran almost to the dugout in celebration.

However, despite not scoring big, Warner showed his class—in batting as well as fielding. And after understanding the TU conditions better, Warner, who landed in Kathmandu on Sunday night, will be looking more comfortable in his next outing to Kirtipur.

When KC was asked if the team was under pressure after Warner’s wicket while chasing a big total, he had a different say. 

“For me, as a captain, I do not feel that foreign players will win matches for us. It is why we do not panic when overseas players get out early,” KC said. “The seven domestic players in the playing set are the ones I believe can win matches for us.”

The Gorkhas did indeed win the match against Karnali with the might of local players. Rashid Khan departed after completing his half-century while KC smashed a quick-fire 44 off 20. The duo built a 55-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Jahandad Khan (22 off 10), meanwhile, stood not out with Santosh Yadav (5 off 3) to complete the chase for Kathmandu. 

“I think they got the taste … I hope they feel how it is,” KC said when asked if the team got any inspiration from the Yaks’ 187-run-chase against the Kings, where his long-time teammate Sompal Kami played a match-winning innings with both the bat and the ball. “But still, it’s a game. It was my plan, to give quick runs for the team [with the bat]. I will try to finish it next time, not get out like today.”

Despite the loss, Karnali are still at the top of the points table with two wins in three games. They face Sudurpaschim Royals on Friday, a day after Kathmandu Gorkhas play Biratnagar Kings.