Nepal played its first-ever match under floodlights 11 years ago in Bangladesh during the World T20. It was also Nepal’s first T20I. That moment inspired the current crop of cricketers, including skipper Rohit Paudel. For millions of Nepali cricket fans, the idea that Nepal would one day host its own match under floodlights felt like a distant daydream. Although attempts were made in the past to install floodlights at the TU Stadium through tenders, none were successful. Yet, despite doubts, Nepal finally hosted its first domestic match under floodlights — the opening fixture of the second season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), starting on a cold winter afternoon and flowing into an evening under lights.

Crowds began building up even three hours before the start. It wasn’t a packed house, but it was close to full considering it was a working day. The match itself wasn’t a thriller, but history was created when Kathmandu Gorkhas skipper Karan KC — formerly of Kathmandu Gurkhas — bowled the first delivery of the match to last year’s highest run-getter and Player of the Final, Lahiru Milantha. The ball went for four leg byes.

The match was delayed by 10 minutes due to customary celebrations marking the big occasion. There was a general belief that the newly laid pitch would play better, especially since little cricket had been played on it recently due to construction work. With a bit of grass on the surface, the pitch was expected to assist fast bowlers early on. None of that materialized, as spinners dominated the game with 9 wickets compared to just 2 for the pacers, who were expensive.

The Bolts needed something over 150 to truly challenge Kathmandu Gorkhas, but managed only 130/6 despite the first three overs gone for 32 without loss of any wicket. Aasif looked fluent throughout his innings, scoring his first NPL fifty — a well-made 54. Mayan Yadav contributed an unbeaten 34 off 29, while Lahiru Samarakoon added a steady 22. Their 48-run partnership brought some stability but lacked acceleration. Milind Kumar bowled superbly, taking 3 of the top 4 top-order wickets and finishing with figures of 3/15 from 4 overs. Alam, KC, and Yadav took a wicket each.

Chasing 131, 24-year-old left-hander Ben Charlesworth got Kathmandu Gorkhas off to a flying start with 46 off 23 balls that included 3 clean sixes. Once the Gorkhas reached 55/0 in the 6th over, they were in complete control. Though they lost wickets at intervals, the chase was completed in the 18th over. Aakash Tripathi contributed 39 off 45 — far from fluent, but valuable.

In the absence of Tahir and Parnell, the Bolts’ bowlers looked off the mark. One of the marquee auction picks, Aadil Alam, sealed the victory with a huge six over wide long-on to level the scores, followed by a single to complete the 5-wicket win. Captain Sah bowled himself and returned figures of 1/26, the same as premier spinner Lalit Rajbanshi. Mahato, Loftie-Eaton, and Krishnamurthi each picked up a wicket. Unsurprisingly, Milind Kumar was named Player of the Match for his 3/15 and handy 19 runs.

Both captains expressed surprise at the amount of spin on offer despite the grass and freshness of the pitch. Dew is expected to remain a major factor in the second match of the day, making the toss increasingly crucial. It may take a few more matches to fully understand how the pitch behaves under lights — whether it becomes a “win the toss, win the match” surface or if teams batting first can still post and defend competitive totals.