Two weeks of watching RUSLAN Dhangadhi Premier League 2 again emphasised the one point on which Nepal Cricket stands out for. Passion!! and it is this passion for the sport which is seen among the spectators who flocked to the grounds on the Final match to watch the top 2 teams from the tournament, battle it out for the Title.
The outcome of the match was a joyous affair for the fans as Team Chauraha Dhangadhi defended their title win from last year as they defeated Kathmandu Goldens by 21 runs to clinch the trophy. Team Chauraha and Kathmandu Goldens met thrice during the course of the tournament with Dhangadhi edging past their opponents 2-1 after losing the opening match of the tournament on 31st Mar 2018.
The tournament was thoroughly enjoyed by the crowds who came to the ground to watch the action live and alike for TV/App viewers via coverage from AP1 TV HD and iFlix. However, its the crowd attendance which again showed the appetite of Nepali cricket fans for watching their national players in action. Any overseas players coming to Nepal to play either in the Everest Premier League or Dhangadhi Premier League will echo the same thoughts.
There were banners, advertisements and promotional activities all around the ground and it made the temporary seating stands also look good for the event organisers to be proud of. And the final match presentation was made even more entertaining with UAE’s captain Rohan Mustafa trying the “Nagin” dance jig to entertain each and everyone present at the occasion.
While a lot was left to be desired on the cricket field in the two weeks of DPL action, it was still heartening to see three Nepal players being in the top 3 run-getters for the tournament. Gyanendra Malla found some of his old self back as he emerged the top run-getter with 248 runs from 8 matches followed by Amit Shrestha (242 runs from 8 matches) and Sunil Dhamala (229 runs from 7 matches).
Young bowlers in Lalit Bhandari (14 wickets from 7 matches), Rashaid Khan (11 wickets from 8 matches), Shuvankar Urao (10 wickets from 5 matches) and Kamal Singh Airee (9 wickets from 5 matches) stood out during the tournament and have good futures ahead of them. The only thing now needed is for more domestic tournaments (like the upcoming franchise based 50-overs competition, Birat Cup) for them to further play more games and develop their skills.
As it comes to a close now, DPLT20 will again be back around in a year’s time for it’s third edition and if the popularity for both EPLT20 and DPLT20 among the fans is anything to go by, then we can only expect far better things in the future from the two T20 tournaments in Nepal.
Bye Bye Dhangadhi!! You have been wonderful in the past two weeks..See you around for the 3rd edition next year.
