KATHMANDU: The Janakpur Bolts are the first club in the first Nepal Premier League (NPL) to go undefeated following Match Day 8, which is the halfway point of the league season.  

Janakpur's first victory over the Biratnagar Kings came on November 30. To maintain their perfect record, they went on to defeat the Lumbini Lions, Pokhara Avengers, and Karnali Yaks.  

With eight points from four consecutive wins, Janakpur tops the table and is on the verge of securing a playoff spot. A victory against Sudurpaschim Royals on December 11 will confirm their qualification.  

The Sudurpaschim vs. Janakpur game on Wednesday could have been a battle of unbeaten teams had Sudurpaschim not lost their fourth match to Chitwan Rhinos by 33 runs on December 8.  

The 15th league-stage match was between Sudurpaschim and Chitwan. The next 13 games in the single round-robin style will take place over the course of the upcoming week, with a break on December 9.  

The league stage will consist of seven games for each of the eight teams, with the top four teams moving on to the playoffs. Five teams have played four games apiece thus far, and the Pokhara Avengers and Kathmandu Gurkhas will soon play their fourth games.  

Pokhara and Kathmandu will face Karnali and Lumbini, respectively, on December 10 and 11, where wins for either team could enhance their playoff chances.  

Sudurpaschim Royals and Chitwan Rhinos lead with six points each, while Karnali Yaks is at a loss with four points from four games without star player Shikhar Dhawan.  

To stand a chance of making it to the playoffs, the Biratnagar Kings need to overcome Pokhara, Chitwan, and Kathmandu in their final three games on December 12, 13, and 15.  

The Lumbini Lions are virtually eliminated from the postseason after four consecutive defeats, but the remaining seven teams still have a chance.  

The Lumbini Lions' captain, Rohit Kumar Paudel, dominated the competition in runs scored with 181 runs, including a high score of 95, despite his team's poor season.  

Paudel, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Anil Kumar Sah are Nepali players who are ranked first, fourth, and tenth, respectively, among the top ten run scorers.  

Andries Gous, a USA international playing for Pokhara, is the only player in the top 10 to have played just two games. With 124 runs, including the tournament’s only century, he is a strong contender to climb the leaderboard.  

In the bowling department, Sohail Tanvir leads with nine wickets from four games, including the first five-wicket haul in NPL history.  

Among the top 10 wicket-takers, five are Nepali, including Bipin Sharma and Bipin Khatri, who rank fifth and tenth, respectively, with six and five wickets.  

Abinash Bohara and Rijan Dhakal are tied with six wickets each, ranking eighth and ninth, while Harsh Thaker recently claimed a five-wicket haul to secure third place with eight wickets.  

Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi occupies the second spot, edging Thaker based on better economy rates, while Naren Saud was the first player after Tanvir to take a five-wicket haul.  

It's surprising that seasoned Nepali bowlers like Sandeep Lamichhane, Karan KC, and Sompal Kami don't make the top 10 list because young players from outside and locally do better.  

With seven catches, including three against Chitwan, Naresh Bahadur Budayair of the Sudurpaschim Royals leads the fielding field.  

Anil Sah of Janakpur and Ishan Pandey of Sudurpaschim, who have each taken four catches in their games, are next in line behind Budayair.