KATHMANDU: Janakpur Bolts narrowly defeated Lumbini Lions by 1 run in a thrilling encounter in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) on Sunday.

Lumbini’s chances of reaching the playoffs have diminished, as they have now faced four consecutive defeats in the tournament.

With four losses from four matches, Lumbini sits at the bottom of the points table, still without any points.

Lumbini is the only team yet to register a win in the NPL, and their chances of making the playoffs appear slim.

Even if they win their remaining three matches, qualifying for the playoffs seems unlikely.

On the other hand, Janakpur, who registered their fourth consecutive victory, strengthened their position at the top of the table with 8 points from 4 matches.

Janakpur set a target of 137 runs for Lumbini, who fell short, scoring only 135 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

Lumbini’s hopes were dashed when Sandeep Jora was caught out with just 2 runs needed off the last ball.