NPL: Sudurpashchim Royals and Janakpur Bolts gear up for final

Kathmandu, December 20 — The final match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) is set to take place on Saturday between Sudurpashchim Royals and Janakpur Bolts. Ahead of the final, both captains addressed the media at a press conference on Friday, expressing their readiness for the title clash.

Janakpur Bolts’ captain, Aasif Sheikh, stated that his team did not have any special plans for the final. He emphasized that every match is important to him, and he treats the final as just another game.

"I give equal importance to every game, including the final. For me, every match is the same," said Aasif. He also expressed his desire for Nepalese players to be the heroes of the final. "It doesn’t matter who wins, but I hope the Nepalese players are the match-winners," he added.

Regarding the strategy for the final, Aasif mentioned that Janakpur Bolts would focus on making the most of the powerplay and the last four overs. "We will try to score as many runs as possible in the early overs, especially during the final four overs," he said.

Aasif also shared his belief that T20 cricket is unpredictable, and the team that makes fewer mistakes on the day would win. "Sudurpashchim Royals are a strong team, so we will need to give our best to win," he remarked.

Aasif also spoke about the different types of wickets at the Kirtipur Cricket Ground. "The Kirtipur ground has two types of wickets—one favors high scores, and the other is slower. We will adapt our strategy based on the wicket conditions," he said, expressing his gratitude to the supporters.

On the other hand, Sudurpashchim Royals’ captain, Dipendra Singh Airee, also expressed confidence in his team's preparation. He echoed Aasif’s sentiment, stating that for his team, the final is just another game. "The final is just like any other game for us. There is no special plan, but we will give 100% effort," said Dipendra.

Dipendra also shared that if they win the toss, the decision to bat or bowl will depend on the condition of the wicket. "We will decide based on the conditions if we win the toss," he said.

Addressing Janakpur Bolts, Dipendra made it clear that they do not consider them weak opponents despite winning twice against them earlier in the tournament. "Just because we have beaten them twice doesn’t mean they are weak. We won’t underestimate them in the final," he remarked.

Dipendra also gave an update on the team’s preparations, mentioning that they had a practice session on Friday and that the players are in good form. "Our preparation is good, and the players are in rhythm. But it’s a game, and anything can happen, so we can't predict the outcome right now," he said.

He concluded by thanking the supporters for their unwavering support. "Our team has received a lot of love from the supporters, and I believe they will continue to cheer us on in the final. I want to express my gratitude to them," Dipendra added.