PM Cup table heats up as Army and APF secure crucial wins

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 22: Tribhuvan Army Club thrashed Gandaki Province by six wickets to secure their sixth win while APF Club claimed a narrow 3-wicket victory overribhuvan Army Club thrashed Gandaki Province by six wickets to secure their sixth win while APF Club claimed a narrow 3-wicket victory over Sudur Paschim Province and Karnali Province crushed Madhes Province by 81 runs at the PM Cup Men's National Cricket Tournament on Friday.

At Lamahi, Sahab Alam was the star with the ball, grabbing a five-wicket haul to help Army skittle out Gandaki for a modest 116 in 30.3 overs. Kushal Malla and Naren Saud chipped in with two wickets each, dismantling Gandaki’s batting line-up.

For Gandaki, opener Arjun Kumal top-scored with 33. Contributions also came from Deepak Dumre (19), Kamal Pariyar (17), and Bipin Khatri (15). In reply, Army chased down the target in 26.5 overs, losing four wickets. Trit Raj Das, the tournament's leading scorer, anchored the innings with 37 runs off 68 balls, while Basir Ahamad remained unbeaten on 32. Support came from Imran Sheikh (12), Bhim Sharki (14), and Sompal Kami (not out 10).

Gandaki’s bowlers, Chandra Paudel, Bipin Khatri, Subash Bhandari, and Sudip Aryal, claimed a wicket each. With six wins, Army climbed to second place with 12 points, needing two more wins to secure a top-two finish. Defending champions Nepal Police lead the table with 14 points, while Gandaki, with six losses, sit at the bottom with just two points.

At Siddarthanagar, APF chased down a 192-run target in 36.3 overs, losing seven wickets. Sandeep Jora’s solid knock of 51, laced with five boundaries, steered APF to their fourth victory. Aasif Sheikh contributed 32 runs, while Lokesh Bam (19), Dipak Bohara (16), skipper Rohit Paudel (14), and Bhuvan Karki (14) chipped in with the bat. With three matches left, APF still have a shot at second place.

Despite two wickets each from Sher Malla, Bikash Aagri, and Narayan Joshi, Sudur Paschim couldn’t stop the three-time champions. Earlier, Sudur Paschim managed 191 runs in 48.5 overs. Nischal Khatri anchored the innings with a 92-ball 51, and Prakash Pandey added 42 from 72 balls in a 91-run second-wicket stand. However, the lower order collapsed, adding just 82 runs as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Rohit Paudel and Amar Routela were lethal with the ball, picking up three scalps each to dismantle Sudur Paschim.

Karnali achieved their fourth win and secured their first victory over Madhes in the PM Cup. The win pushed them to fifth place, keeping their hopes alive for a top-four finish. Madhes, with only two wins from six matches, remain in trouble.

Madhes were bundled out for 139 in 35.2 overs while chasing a 229-run target set by Karnali. Rupesh Singh top-scored with 30, followed by Bishal Patel (25) and Hari Shankar Sah (18). Dinesh Adhikari led the bowling attack for Karnali, claiming four wickets, while Dipendra Rawat and Prakash Jaishi grabbed three and two wickets, respectively.

Batting first at Extra Tech Oval, Karnali posted 220 before being bowled out in 49.1 overs. Dipendra Rawat shone with a 92-ball 61 and partnered with Arjun Gharti (26 off 26) for a 36-run fifth-wicket stand. Later, Rawat teamed up with Adhikari to add 60 runs, with Adhikari contributing 24 off 44. Prakash Jaishi (20) and skipper Diwan Pun (not out 18) added valuable runs.