Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts Prediction, Fantasy Tips & Dream11 Team | NPL 2026 Match 3
Karnali Yaks and Janakpur Bolts open their NPL Season 3 campaigns against each other in Match 3 on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 4:30 PM Nepal time at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Janakpur, the 2024 champions who finished last in 2025, have rebuilt around four overseas signings. Karnali returns with a settled domestic core under Sompal Kami. Janakpur led the head-to-head 2-1.
Pre-match note
This prediction is published before the toss and before either playing XI is announced. Availability of Karnali’s two Bangladeshi signings is unconfirmed, so recheck fantasy selections once both lineups are out.
Match Details
| Match | Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts |
| Tournament | NPL 2026 (Season 3) |
| Match | Match 3 |
| Date | October 27 |
| Time | 04:30 PM |
| Venue | Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur |
| Teams | Karnali Yaks, Janakpur Bolts |
Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts:
Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts: This is a tight contest between two teams that finished in the bottom half last year (Karnali sixth, Janakpur eighth). Janakpur has the bigger names in Moeen Ali, Jimmy Neesham, Iftikhar Ahmed, and captain Harmeet Singh. Karnali has continuity, a century-maker in Mark Watt, and a three-run win in the last meeting.
Match 3 is the first game of the season for both teams. Each side plays seven league matches, and the top four reach the playoffs from November 17. The two teams meet only once in the league phase, so an opening win carries real weight.
Key battles to watch:
- Mark Watt vs Janakpur’s spinners. Watt opened for Karnali last season and hit 114 not out off 44 balls. Lalit Rajbanshi, Harmeet Singh, and Moeen Ali give Janakpur several ways to slow him down. We have no head-to-head numbers for these players, so this is a tactical contest rather than a statistical edge.
- Nandan Yadav vs Anil Sah. Sah scored 62 off 42 balls against Karnali in the 2024 meeting. Yadav is one of Karnali’s most trusted bowlers.
- Janakpur’s overseas middle order vs. Karnali’s homegrown spin. Moeen Ali, Neesham, and Iftikhar against Yuvraj Khatri, Unish Singh Thakuri, and Sompal Kami is the matchup likely to decide the middle overs.
- Chasing vs. defending. Karnali has batted first in all three meetings, and the chasing side has won two of them. Whoever wins the toss may prefer to chase.
Want to follow the NPL 3rd T20 match live? Check the Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts full scorecard for live scores, ball-by-ball commentary, toss, and match updates.
Team News
Karnali Yaks
Karnali finished sixth in 2025 with two wins from seven games, the second of them over Janakpur in their final league match. They retained seven players: marquee and captain Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Deepak Dumre, Pawan Sarraf, Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri, and Yuvraj Khatri. Shubh Kansakar and Bipin Sharma were among the auction signings, and Gyanendra Malla remains head coach.
Scotland’s Mark Watt returns as an overseas player. Last season he hit the first century of NPL Season 2 and scored 59 against Pokhara. Bangladesh’s Akbar Ali, a wicketkeeper-batter and 2020 U19 World Cup-winning captain, and batter Ariful Islam have also signed. Ariful scored 219 runs in seven matches at the Top End T20 Series in Australia. Both are expected to join after the first three rounds of Bangladesh’s National Cricket League, so their availability for Match 3 is unconfirmed.
The bowling is built around homegrown players: Yadav, Khatri, Unish Singh Thakuri, and Bipin Sharma, with Kami and Jha adding all-round options.
Janakpur Bolts
Janakpur won the 2024 title, finished last in 2025, and made a clean break. They retained only five players: Anil Sah, Lalit Rajbanshi, Mayan Yadav, Aaditya Mahata, and Bikash Aagri. Marquee Aasif Sheikh was released and later went to Lumbini Lions at the auction. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is head coach.
USA’s Harmeet Singh is captain. He is a left-arm spinner and lower-order batter who played the first two NPL seasons for Sudurpaschim Royals. Jimmy Neesham returns after playing for the Bolts in 2024. Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed (998 runs in 66 T20Is) signed in September, and England’s Moeen Ali (92 T20Is, 1,229 runs, 51 wickets) joined in October. With four overseas signings, the XI Janakpur pick will shape their batting and spin balance.
The domestic core is led by Anil Sah, a wicketkeeper-batter who captained the Bolts to the 2024 title. Rajbanshi was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the NPL 2024 with 17 wickets.
Players to Watch
Mark Watt – Karnali Yaks
Sompal Kami – Karnali Yaks
Nandan Yadav – Karnali Yaks
Lalit Rajbanshi – Janakpur Bolts
Anil Sah – Janakpur Bolts
Kirtipur Pitch Report
No match-specific pitch report or verified weather forecast is available this far ahead. What is known is that the Kirtipur square was rebuilt for the first time since 2020 ahead of the NPL and the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, with local grass from inside the 30-yard circle transplanted onto the pitch. CAN vice-president Roshan Kumar Singh said the wicket could hold grass for about the first two weeks of the NPL, after which it may flatten.
50%
Pace Bowling
50%
Spin Bowling
50%
Batting Pitch
160 - 170 runs
Average Score
50%
Bowling Pitch
Last season the grass disappeared within about a week, and the surface turned low and slow. Match 3 is the second fixture of the opening-week double-header on October 27 and has an evening start. Any remaining grass should help seam bowlers early, but this is an expectation, not a confirmed condition. The 2024 and 2025 meetings between these teams were low-to-moderate scoring: 141/7 and 142/2 in 2024, and 129/9 and 126/7 in 2025.
Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts: Head-to-Head NPL Record
| Matches played | 3 |
| Won by Karnali Yaks | 1 |
| Won by Janakpur Bolts | 2 |
| Tied / No Results | 0 |
| First-ever fixture | December 2, 2024 (Janakpur won by 8 wickets) |
| Most recent fixture | December 7, 2025 (Karnali won by 3 runs) |
Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts Prediction
Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts Prediction: Janakpur get a narrow edge on squad quality. Karnali has the more settled group but is less certain about their overseas batting.
Why Janakpur gets the nod:
Overseas depth. Moeen, Neesham, Iftikhar, and Harmeet bring more T20 experience than Karnali’s confirmed overseas option, Watt.
Batting depth. Sah plus the overseas middle order gives Janakpur more ways to chase, and chasing has worked in this fixture.
Karnali’s batting uncertainty. Akbar Ali and Ariful Islam may not be available for the opener, which would leave Karnali leaning on Watt.
Karnali beat this opponent last time and has a more consistent squad.
Janakpur finished last in 2025 and has only five retained players, so the new group has yet to prove it fits together.
Grass on the pitch would suit Karnali’s home-grown bowlers.
Our prediction: Karnali Yaks 45% – Janakpur Bolts 55%.
Fantasy Tips
Fantasy selections here are provisional until both XIs are announced. Credits and scoring vary by platform, so this uses a generic 11-player structure with a captain earning double points and a vice-captain 1.5x.
Mark Watt and Moeen Ali are the most dependable multi-route options on either side. Watt opens and bowls spin, while Moeen bats, bowls off-spin, and fields. Jimmy Neesham and Sompal Kami are strong all-round alternatives. Anil Sah is the clearest wicketkeeper option because of his top-order role and past record against Karnali.
Among bowlers, Lalit Rajbanshi has the strongest wicket record in the match, and Nandan Yadav is Karnali’s retained strike option. Iftikhar Ahmed is at higher risk because his batting position and bowling workload are unconfirmed. Akbar Ali and Ariful Islam should only be picked if they are in the XI.
Captain and Vice-Captain Picks
Captain: Sompal Kami
Vice-Captain: Harmeet Singh
Final Prediction
Janakpur Bolts have the deeper overseas group and the stronger chasing record in this fixture. Karnali Yaks have the more settled core and a proven opener in Mark Watt. Our pre-match assessment gives Janakpur a narrow advantage. The main factor that could change it is a grassy pitch with Karnali’s Bangladeshi batters available. The best fantasy captain is Watt, the vice-captain is Moeen Ali, and the differential pick is Lalit Rajbanshi.
Predicted winner: Janakpur Bolts
Predicted winner: Janakpur Bolts
Win probability:
- Karnali Yaks – 45%
- Janakpur Bolts – 55%
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.