The inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) is about to wrap up in a few days. The NPL 2024 has reached its business end, with the tournament playoffs set to start on December 18.
Sudur Paschim Royals, Janakpur Bolts, Chitwan Rhinos, and Karnali Yaks have qualified for the NPL 2024 playoff stage. The Eliminator and Qualifier 1 will take place on December 18, while Qualifier 2 will follow the next day. We will then get the inaugural NPL champion on December 21.
Here you can get an overview of the Nepal Premier League 2024 playoffs schedule, dates, and teams.
NPL 2024: Journey to the Playoffs
Sudur Paschim Royals: Led by Dipendra Singh Airee, the Royals topped the points chart, with 12 points to their name. They won six of their seven games, with a little hiccup against Chitwan Rhinos holding them back from a perfect seven. The Royals dominated in five of the games, while the match against Pokhara Avengers was a close affair, where they prevailed by five runs.
Janakpur Bolts: The Janakpur boys had a lightning start to their campaign by winning their first four matches in a row. They lost their fifth and seventh games, but a win in sixth ensured they finished at No. 2. The Bolts garnered 10 points from their five wins and had a run rate of 0.164.
Chitwan Rhinos: It was a topsy-turvy season for Chitwan Rhinos, who won four games and lost three. But thanks to their superior net run rate, they secured third place on the NPL points table. The Rhinos accrued eight points, with their last league stage win proving to be crucial.
Karnali Yaks: The Yaks had a shocking start to their campaign, losing the first two matches while defending the targets. But they turned around their luck by logging four consecutive wins. The Yaks lost their last league match to end up with eight points, but their better run rate pushed them into the playoffs.
NPL 2024 Playoffs: Schedule, Dates, Venue, and Time
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18 | Eliminator: Chitwan Rhinos vs Karnali Yaks | Kirtipur | 9:00 AM |
| Dec 18 | Qualifier 1: Sudur Paschim Royals vs Janakpur Bolts | Kirtipur | 1:00 PM |
| Dec 19 | Qualifier 2: Winner Eliminator vs Loser Qualifier 1 | Kirtipur | 12:00 PM |
| Dec 21 | Final: Winner Qualifier 1 vs Winner Qualifier 2 | Kirtipur | 12:00 PM |
NPL 2024: Eliminator
Chitwan Rhinos and Karnali Yaks will be up against each other in the Eliminator of the NPL 2024. The Rhinos seem to be the favourites to win the game as their batters and bowlers are in form.
Rijan Dhakal (13 wickets) and Sohail Tanvir (12 wickets) are among the top five wicket-takers, while Ravi Bopara (233 runs) and Kushal Malla (202 runs) are among the top five run-getters for Rhinos.
But the Yaks’ 16-year-old spinner Bipin Sharma can trouble the Rhinos batters, while Shikhar Dhawan will look to add more runs to his tally and take the team into Qualifier 2.
NPL 2024: Qualifier 1
The top two sides, Sudur Paschim Royals and Janakpur Bolts, will tussle for a direct Final spot in Qualifier 1. The reason behind the Royals’ dominance is Scott Kuggeleijn, who has topped the wickets chart with 15 scalps in seven innings. The Kiwi bowler will look to continue his form and take his side into the finals.
The Bolts have also rallied into the playoffs on the backs of superb performances from their bowlers. Lalit Rajbanshi (13 wickets), Harsh Thaker (10 wickets), and Kishore Mahato (10 wickets) are among the top 10 wicket-takers in the NPL 2024.
As the two sides with the best bowling attacks go head-on, we will witness some thrilling action in Qualifier 1.
NPL 2024: Qualifier 2
Qualifier 2, slated for December 19, will provide the losers of Qualifier 1 another opportunity to enter the Final. They will be pitted against the winners of the Eliminator, with the game starting at noon IST.
NPL 2024: Final
The summit clash of the inaugural NPL will take place on December 21. Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 winners will have a go against each other in the Final to determine the champion. The match will start at noon at the Tribhuvan University Ground in Kirtipur.
You can tune into Star Sports Network’s TV channels and the FanCode OTT platform to watch the NPL 2024 playoffs.
