Baitadi clinches Prime minister's cup women's T-20 cricket title

Dhangadhi: Baitadi emerged victorious in the Prime Minister's Cup Women's T-20 Sudurpaschim Province-level selection cricket tournament, defeating Kanchanpur by six wickets in the final match.

The final, held at the Dasharath Chand Cricket Ground in Sundarkhali, saw Kanchanpur bat first, scoring 71 runs in 20 overs after losing all their wickets. Baitadi chased down the target of 72 runs in just 12.2 overs with four wickets in hand. Captain Ritu Kanaujia led Baitadi with an unbeaten 22 runs, while Janaki Thapa contributed an unbeaten 14 runs. In the bowling department for Kanchanpur, Manju Bista took two wickets.

Earlier, Kanchanpur's batting relied heavily on Revati Dhami, who scored 41 runs, while the rest of the lineup failed to reach double figures. For Baitadi, Janaki Thapa shone with the ball, taking two wickets and earning the title of Woman of the Final. Captain Ritu Kanaujia was named the best player of the tournament.

Other individual honors included Kanchanpur's captain Bindu Rawal as the best batter, Baitadi's Karishma Thapa as the best bowler, and Dadeldhura's Jayanti Bhandari as the emerging player.

Awards were presented by Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Chatur Bahadur Chand, National Team Preparation Director and Olympian Deepak Bista under the National Sports Council, CAN central member Dhirendra Sawad, and Sudurpaschim Provincial Cricket Association Vice President Ramesh Bohara, among others.

Olympian Bista praised cricket's role in elevating Nepal's global recognition and lauded the CAN leadership for its contributions to the sport's development. The tournament, organized by the Sudurpaschim Provincial Cricket Association in collaboration with the Baitadi District Cricket Association, featured teams from seven districts and commenced on Poush 11.