Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers Prediction, Fantasy Tips & Dream11 Team | NPL 2026 Match 9

| Updated - 16 Oct 2026, 13:02 GMT+5:45

Janakpur Bolts take on Pokhara Avengers in Match 9 of NPL 2026 on Sunday, November 1, at 4:30 PM Nepal time at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Both teams missed the playoffs last season. Pokhara finished fifth with three wins from seven matches, while Janakpur finished last with just one win after winning the first NPL title in 2024.

This will be Janakpur’s third match of the season and Pokhara’s second. The Bolts will have already faced Karnali Yaks on October 27 and Kathmandu Gorkhas on October 29, while Pokhara will have played Sudurpaschim Royals on October 28. Their results could provide an early indication of each team’s form ahead of this match.

Both sides have made changes to their squads. Janakpur has four overseas players: Harmeet Singh, Jimmy Neesham, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Moeen Ali. Pokhara has two overseas players, Shakib Al Hasan and Dhananjaya Lakshan. Janakpur has added international experience, while Pokhara will look to build on their existing core under captain Kushal Bhurtel.

Pre-match note

This prediction is published before the toss and confirmed playing XI. Shakib’s availability for the full season has been reported as unclear. Both teams will have played earlier games, so check the form and lineups on match day before finalizing fantasy teams.

Match Details

Match	Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers
Tournament	NPL 2026 (Season 3)
Match	Match 9
Date	November 01
Time	04:30 PM
Venue	Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur
Teams	Janakpur Bolts, Pokhara Avengers

Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers:

Both teams will have played earlier in the season by this point. Pokhara face Sudurpaschim Royals in Match 4 (28 October) and Janakpur face Kathmandu Gorkhas in Match 5 (29 October). This article was written before either game, so check those results and update the form notes before kick-off.

Janakpur Bolts: 2024 champions, 8th in 2025 (1 win, 6 losses, 2 points). They retained only five players of a possible seven and released their marquee wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh.
Pokhara Avengers: 5th in 2025 (3 wins, 4 losses, 6 points). Kushal Bhurtel captains them for the third straight season.
Stakes: A loss for either team in early November makes the final league weeks harder, because only the top four qualify for the playoffs.

Want to follow the match live? Check the Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers, 9th Match at Kirtipur, NPL 2026 – Full Scorecard for live scores, ball-by-ball commentary, toss updates, and playing XIs.

Team News

Janakpur Bolts

Squad (Season 3): Harmeet Singh (c, USA), Anil Sah (wk), Lalit Rajbanshi, Bikash Aagri, Mayan Yadav, Aaditya Mahata, Trit Raj Das, Abhishek Tiwari, Bishal Kumar Patel, Amar Singh Rautela, Rit Gautam, Santosh Karki, Aashutosh Pandey, Bishal Susling, Jimmy Neesham (NZ), Iftikhar Ahmed (PAK), Moeen Ali (ENG).

Rebuild: Five retentions left them with the biggest purse going into the auction (NPR 66.25 lakh). They used it on Trit Raj Das (NPR 15 lakh, joint-highest category A buy) and several category B signings.
Overseas group: Neesham, Moeen Ali, and Iftikhar Ahmed give them more international experience than Pokhara’s list. Harmeet Singh is both captain and a bowling option.
Bowling: Lalit Rajbanshi was joint-top wicket-taker in 2024 with 17 wickets and is still the key domestic bowler.
Concern: A new captain, a new core, and a seventh-straight-loss-type finish last year mean cohesion is the main question mark.

Pokhara Avengers

Squad (Season 3): Kushal Bhurtel (c), Aakash Chand, Sagar Dhakal, Dinesh Kharel, Bipin Khatri, Kiran Thagunna, Arjun Gharti Chhetri, Sudip Aryal, Bibek Rana Magar, Sunny BK, Shakib Al Hasan (BAN), Dhananjaya Lakshan (SL).

Continuity: Six of seven retentions are named, with Bhurtel, Chand, Khatri, Thagunna, Kharel, and Sagar Dhakal all back.
Overseas: Shakib Al Hasan, aged 40, has 7,853 runs and 515 wickets across T20 cricket. Dhananjaya Lakshan is a Sri Lankan all-rounder.
Auction: Arjun Gharti (NPR 15 lakh) was their top buy, with Sudip Aryal and Sunny BK added at base-level prices.
Concern: Their highest 2025 run-scorer, Adam Rossington (323 runs), is not in the 2026 squad lists, so the top-order runs must come from different players.

Players to Watch

James Neesham – Janakpur Bolts

Power-hitting all-rounder. He scored 247 runs in 2024 at a strike rate above 196

Moeen Ali – Janakpur Bolts

Left-handed batter and off-spinner. This is his first NPL season.

Shakib AL Hasan – Pokhara Avengers

Spin and batting value if he is in the XI.

Kirtipur Pitch Report

CAN overhauled the Kirtipur pitches before NPL 3, planting fresh grass taken from inside the 30-yard circle. A Kantipur report said the wicket could hold grass for roughly the first two weeks before flattening. Match 9 is on day 7, inside that window, but the pitch will have been used by then.

50%

Pace Bowling

50%

Spin Bowling

50%

Batting Pitch

150 - 165 runs

Average Score

50%

Bowling Pitch

If grass remains, pace and swing gain value early. If it has worn, spinners gain value. Re-check after the toss.

Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers: Head-to-Head NPL Record

Matches played	2
Won by Janakpur Bolts	1
Won by Pokhara Avengers	1
Tied / No Results	—
First-ever fixture	December 5, 2024 (Janakpur Bolts won by 7 wickets)
Most recent fixture	November 27, 2025 (Pokhara Avengers won by 25 runs)

In 2024 Pokhara made 138/7, and Janakpur chased it in 17.1 overs, with Milantha (45) and Aasif Sheikh (33) setting it up. In 2025 Pokhara made 155/6 and bowled Janakpur out for 130/9, with Sumeet Verma scoring 50 off 29. Most of those key players have since moved on.

Janakpur Bolts vs Pokhara Avengers Prediction

Janakpur has a slight edge before the toss.

Overseas depth. They have four confirmed overseas players, against two for Pokhara, and all four are experienced T20 performers.
Pokhara’s batting loss. Last season’s top run-scorer has left, and a wicketkeeper is unconfirmed.
Pokhara’s strengths. A settled core, Shakib’s ability, and a spin attack that beat Janakpur last year.
Janakpur’s risk. They finished last and kept only five players, so their domestic group is thin. It is also their third match in a week.

Our prediction: Janakpur Bolts 55% – Pokhara Avengers 45%.

Fantasy Tips

Janakpur’s overseas all-rounders, Neesham and Moeen, are the strongest fantasy options because they can earn points in both skills. Rajbanshi and Harmeet are the main bowling picks.

From Pokhara, Bhurtel opens and can bowl. Shakib is high upside, but only if confirmed. Khatri and Dhakal are the spin options if the surface turns.

Dhananjaya Lakshan is the differential. He can earn points with both bat and ball and is easy to overlook next to Shakib.

Keep to a maximum of seven players from one team, and confirm role labels on your platform.

Safe fantasy picks: Jimmy Neesham (JB), Moeen Ali (JB), Lalit Rajbanshi (JB), Kushal Bhurtel (PA), Bipin Khatri (PA)

Higher-risk, higher-reward picks: Shakib Al Hasan (PA, only if in XI), Dhananjaya Lakshan (PA, differential), Iftikhar Ahmed (JB), Harmeet Singh (JB)

Captain Picks

Captain pick: Harmeet Singh

Captain pick: Kushal Bhurtel

Final Prediction

Janakpur Bolts are narrow favourites. Their four overseas players give them more depth than Pokhara’s two.

Best fantasy picks are Neesham as captain and Bhurtel as vice-captain, with Lakshan as the differential. The main factor that could change this prediction is Shakib. If he plays and the pitch turns, Pokhara’s chances improve.

Predicted winner: Janakpur Bolts

Win probability:

Janakpur Bolts – 55%
Pokhara Avengers – 45%

NPL T20 Team

Written by the NPL T20 Team — cricket writers and editors covering the Nepal Premier League 2026. We share match reports, player profiles, points table updates, venue guides, and fantasy tips, verified through official and local sources.