Kathmandu Gurkhas face Sudurpaschim Royals in the 24th match of Nepal Premier League (NPL) Season 3 on Friday, 13 November 2026, at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
The match starts at 12:30 PM NPT / 12:15 PM IST / 11:45 AM PKT. The toss is at 12:00 PM NPT.
Both teams are on eight points. The winner goes top of the points table with 10 points, ahead of Lumbini Lions on nine points.
Match Preview
Kathmandu have won four of their five matches. Their only defeat was to Janakpur Bolts. Their last match was a 10-run win over Chitwan Rhinos on 9 November 2026, when they scored 180 for 8. Rashid Khan made 52 off 30 balls, Sahan Arachchige 33 off 20 balls, and William Bosisto 27 off 22 balls.
Sudurpaschim have won four of their six matches. Their last match was a 27-run win over Janakpur Bolts on 10 November 2026, when they defended 120 for 9 and bowled Janakpur out for 93. Brandon McMullen made 33, and Scott Kuggeleijn took 3 for 13.
The big change for this match is David Warner. He was Kathmandu's top run-scorer in the tournament, with 127 runs, but he has returned to Australia and will miss the rest of the league stage and the playoffs. Do not pick Warner in your Dream11 team. Kathmandu has not named a replacement for him.
Captain and Vice-Captain Choices
Small League
- Captain: Rashid Khan
- Vice-Captain: Dipendra Singh Airee
Grand League
- Captain: Dipendra Singh Airee
- Vice-Captain: Scott Kuggeleijn
Other vice-captain options: Jahandad Khan and William Bosisto.
Dream11 Team
Dream11 Team 1 — Small League (2-3-4-2)
- Wicketkeepers: Binod Bhandari, Sahil Patel
- Batters: William Bosisto, Brandon McMullen, Sahan Arachchige
- All-rounders: Rashid Khan (C), Dipendra Singh Airee (VC), Scott Kuggeleijn, Ishan Pandey
- Bowlers: Jahandad Khan, Anil Kharel
Dream11 Team 2 — Grand League (1-3-4-3)
- Wicketkeeper: Sahil Patel
- Batters: Brandon McMullen, William Bosisto, Bhim Sharki
- All-rounders: Dipendra Singh Airee (C), Rashid Khan, Tharindu Ratnayake, Scott Kuggeleijn (VC)
- Bowlers: Jahandad Khan, Anil Kharel, Santosh Yadav
Players to Avoid
- Saif Zaib (Sudurpaschim): opens the batting, but CricketWorld noted that he and Binod Bhandari “failed to take their team off to a flier” against Janakpur Bolts, consuming too many deliveries. He is a low-value pick at the top of the order in current form.
- David Warner (Kathmandu): Do not pick him at all. He has returned to Australia and is confirmed unavailable for this match and the rest of the tournament.
Pick Rashid Khan as captain in small leagues. Without Warner, Kathmandu's batting runs through him, Bosisto, and Arachchige, and he also bowls. In grand leagues, back Dipendra Singh Airee as captain—he contributes with bat and ball, and Sudurpaschim's bowling has defended low totals twice in this tournament. Do not load your team with openers from either side: both teams have struggled at the top of the order in their last matches, and the value is in the middle order and the all-rounders.
Probable Playing XI
These are probable XIs, based on the teams' last matches. They are not confirmed. The confirmed XIs will be announced at the toss at 12:00 PM NPT on 13 November 2026.
Kathmandu Gurkhas—Probable XI
Sahil Patel (wk), Warner's replacement — to be confirmed, William Bosisto, Bhim Sharki, Santosh Yadav, Rashid Khan, Sahan Arachchige, Mohammad Aadil Alam, Karan KC (C), Ganesh Gautam, Jahandad Khan
Sudurpaschim Royals — Probable XI
Saif Zaib, Binod Bhandari (wk), Brandon McMullen, Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Dipendra Singh Airee (C), Tharindu Ratnayake, Scott Kuggeleijn, Anil Kharel, Hemant Dhami, Abinash Bohara
Kirtipur Pitch Report and Weather
Kirtipur's NPL 2026 averages, from CricketWorld's ground stats, are 157 for the first innings and 137 for the second innings.
The weather in Kirtipur on Friday, 13 November 2026 is forecast to be partly cloudy, with a high of 21°C and only a 10% chance of rain, according to weather.com, checked 12 November 2026. No rain interruption is expected.
The pitch has favored bowlers who hit the deck in the last two matches at Kirtipur—Sandeep Lamichhane took 6 for 27 in Match 22, and Scott Kuggeleijn took 3 for 13 in Match 21. Pick at least two frontline bowlers from each side in your team.
Head-to-Head Record
There has been no earlier meeting between these two teams in NPL Season 3. This is their first meeting in the tournament.
Kathmandu's recent form: won 4 of their last 5—beat Chitwan Rhinos, Lumbini Lions, Biratnagar Kings, and Karnali Yaks, lost to Janakpur Bolts.
Sudurpaschim's recent form: won 4 of their last 5—beat Janakpur Bolts, Karnali Yaks, Chitwan Rhinos, and Pokhara Avengers, lost to Biratnagar Kings.
Match Winner Prediction
Kathmandu Gurkhas, narrowly—on the strength of their net run rate (+1.168) and their batting depth, even without Warner. But Sudurpaschim's bowling, led by Kuggeleijn and Kharel, has defended low totals twice in this tournament, including 120 against Janakpur, so a low-scoring game would favor the Royals. CricketWorld, by contrast, predicts a Sudurpaschim Royals win.
