Kathmandu: Runners-up Sudurpashchim Royals saw off defending champions Janakpur Bolts by six wickets to maintain their perfect run and become the first team to secure a playoff spot in the Nepal Premier League T20 at the TU Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Inviting the Bolts to bat first, the Royals restricted them to a moderate 145-8 and then raced to victory in 17.4 overs reaching 148-4, powered by a fine half-century from Ishan Pandey.

The fifth win in as many games strengthened the Royals’ position at the top of the standings with 10 points and confirmed their place in the playoffs with two matches still to play. The defending champions Bolts, meanwhile, remain rooted to the bottom of the table without a single point after four games and are all but out of playoff contention.

Chasing the modest target, the Royals lost opener Josh Brown for a golden duck, bowled by Maaz Sadaqat, and Chris Lynn fell for just one run to Sanjay Krishnamurthi with only two runs on the board.

But opener Binod Bhandari and Pandey revived the innings with a 91-run partnership for the third wicket. Player-of-the-match Pandey smashed a quickfire 56 off 35 balls, featuring eight boundaries and a six. He was eventually dismissed by Aaditya Mahata, caught by Mayan Yadav.

Bhandari made a steady 42 off 49 deliveries, including three boundaries and a six, before being caught by wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh in a delivery by Maaz Sadaqat.

Harmeet Singh then provided late fireworks with an explosive unbeaten 25 off 10 balls, hitting one four and three sixes, including the match-winning maximum. Captain Dipendra Singh Airee remained not out on 10 off seven balls.

For the Bolts, Sadaqat took 2-25 from his four overs, while Krishnamurthi and Mahata claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, Krishnamurthi top-scored for the Bolts with a 38-ball 50, hitting four boundaries and two sixes before being bowled by Abinash Bohara. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton contributed a valuable 39 off 33 balls, including two boundaries and two sixes.

Aaditya Mahata (15), caretaker captain Wayne Parnell (14), and opener Maaz Sadaqat (12) were the other players to reach double figures.
Bohara was the standout bowler for the Royals, taking 4-30 in his four-over spell while Scott Kuggeleijn impressed with figures of 3-22 from his four overs.