Abhishek Gautam's exceptional spin bowling turned the tide for the departmental side APF as they secured a commanding ten-wicket win against Karnali Province in the Prime Minister Cup One-Day Cricket Tournament. In a match held in Janakpur this Saturday, the 19-year-old spinner dismantled Karnali's top order, claiming four crucial wickets and earning the Player of the Match title. This victory marks APF's second win in six matches, while Karnali suffered their fourth defeat of the campaign.
The game was effectively decided in the first innings when Karnali, after choosing to bat, collapsed for a meager 107 runs in 36 overs. Gautam’s early breakthrough removed opener Sunil Dhamala for 17, triggering a dramatic middle-order implosion where Karnali lost four wickets for just three runs. Despite a fighting 38 from Arjun Gharti and 25 from Dipendra Rawat, the provincial side could not recover from being 39/5. Alongside Gautam, Kamal Singh Airee was equally lethal, also picking up four wickets to stifle the opposition.
The chase was a display of pure batting aggression. APF openers Aasif Sheikh and Deepak Bohora reached the 108-run target in a staggering 12 overs, with 228 balls remaining. Aasif Sheikh, who is currently the tournament's second-highest run-scorer with 247 runs, smashed an unbeaten 65 off 38 balls, including 12 boundaries and a six. His partner, Deepak Bohora, remained not out on 42.
This result mirrors APF's historical 2022 performance where they also achieved a ten-wicket victory against Sudurpashchim. While APF’s overall form this season has been inconsistent, this massive win boosts their tally to five points, providing much-needed momentum for the upcoming fixtures.
