Janakpur Bolts vs Chitwan Rhinos, NPL, Today Match Prediction 02 December 2025

JKB vs CR Match Prediction & Analysis

The bottom-placed Janakpur Bolts will be taking on Chitwan Rhinos as they look for their first win of the season. The two teams will go head-to-head at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in the 20th match of the Nepal Premier League 2025.

The venue hasn’t been ideal for batting, leaving aside a few exceptions where teams have managed to score 170+. Mostly, the bowlers have enjoyed the upper hand on this ground, and we expect them to play a key role in this match too.

Sohail Tanvir and Ranjit Kumar will be the key wicket-takers to watch out for in the Rhinos’ lineup. The 40-year-old Tanvir brings a lot of experience and can deliver early wickets with his left-arm medium pace. Left-arm orthodox bowlers Ranjit Kumar and Saif Zaib will also be crucial in the spin-bowling department.

For Janakpur Bolts, all-rounder Sanjay Krishnamurthi is a reliable spin bowler who has been in decent form in recent matches. Another left-arm orthodox bowler, Lalit Rajbanshi, has struggled to find wickets lately and has also been expensive. His poor run of form will be a major concern for the Bolts.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

JKB

L L L L W

SPR

148/4 in 17.4 8.38

NPL

Sudurpaschim Royals beat Janakpur Bolts by 6 wickets 29 Nov 2025

JKB

145/8 in 20.0 7.25

JKB

130/8 in 20.0 6.5

NPL

Pokhara Avengers won by 25 runs 27 Nov 2025

PKA

155/6 in 20.0 7.75

JKB

126/9 in 20.0 6.3

NPL

Biratnagar Kings won by 9 runs 24 Nov 2025

BK

135/7 in 20.0 6.75

JKB

130/6 in 20.0 6.5

NPL

Kathmandu Gurkhas beat Janakpur Bolts by 5 wickets 17 Nov 2025

KMG

131/5 in 18.0 7.28

SPR

184/9 in 20.0 9.2

NPL

Janakpur Bolts beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 5 wickets 21 Dec 2024

JKB

185/5 in 19.2 9.57

CR

L W L W L

CR

89/10 in 17.2 5.13

NPL

Kathmandu Gurkhas beat Chitwan Rhinos by 53 runs 28 Nov 2025

KMG

142/10 in 19.4 7.22

BK

126/10 in 16.5 7.49

NPL

Chitwan Rhinos beat Biratnagar Kings by 48 runs 26 Nov 2025

CR

174/5 in 20.0 8.7

LBL

146/4 in 18.3 7.89

NPL

Lumbini Lions won by 6 wickets 20 Nov 2025

CR

142/7 in 20.0 7.1

CR

171/6 in 19.1 8.92

NPL

Chitwan Rhinos beat Karnali Yaks by 4 wickets 18 Nov 2025

KNY

166/3 in 20.0 8.3

CR

154/9 in 20.0 7.7

NPL

Karnali Yaks beat Chitwan Rhinos by 21 runs 18 Dec 2024

KNY

175/6 in 20.0 8.75

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Janakpur Bolts Preview

Janakpur Bolts have lost all of their matches in the Nepal Premier League 2025 so far. Despite a good bowling performance against Biratnagar Kings, the Bolts suffered a 9-run loss while chasing a 136-run target.

Wayne Parnell leads a promising all-round squad that features some quality batters in the middle order. The bowling has been quite decent, but the lack of good performances from the batters has put the bowlers under a lot of pressure.

Parnell hasn’t bowled much recently, and when he did, he failed to make an impact. Maaz Sadaqat and Sanjay Krishnamurthi are the key wicket-takers in this bowling attack.

Lalit Rajbanshi is a key bowler, but he’s struggling to find his rhythm. His lack of form is a major issue for the Bolts. Maaz Sadaqat opens the innings for the Bolts along with Aasif Sheikh, an attacking T20 batsman.

However, much like the opposition, Janakpur’s openers are also out of form. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who comes in at number 4, can be a better choice for the opening slot. We reckon Sadaqat should open with Loftie-Eaton for a better outcome.

Sanjay Krishnamurthi, at number 5, is a promising batter who’s been in decent touch with both bat and ball. Loftie-Eaton and Krishnamurthi are crucial in the middle order to get the Bolts to a competitive total.

Janakpur Bolts Predicted Playing XI:

Aaditya Mahata, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Shubh Kansakar, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Maaz Sadaqat, Mayan Yadav, Wayne Parnell (c), Rupesh Singh, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kishore Mahato

Janakpur Bolts Actual Playing XI:

Aasif Sheikh, Anil Sah, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Wayne Parnell, Shubh Kansakar, Aaditya Mahata, Mayan Yadav , Sachin Bhatt, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Rupesh Singh, Maaz Sadaqat

Chitwan Rhinos Preview

Kushal Malla will be disappointed with his team’s recent loss against Kathmandu Gorkhas. The Rhinos were bowled out for 89 runs while chasing a 143-run target.

Both openers, Deepak Bohara and Dawid Malan, have failed to deliver a good start in the last 3 consecutive outings. The lack of runs from the openers has hurt Chitwan Rhinos’ chances, and they will need the former best T20 batter in the world, Dawid Malan, to bounce back and get them off to a flying start.

Ravi Bopara starred with a brilliant 68-run knock at number 5 in Chitwan’s win over Biratnagar Kings in a recent game. He will be one to watch out for, along with all-rounder Saif Zaib. These two hold the key to a good finish and will be expected to build strong partnerships in the middle overs.

Bopara has scored two fifties in his last 3 innings. Skipper Kushal Malla can come in at number 6 to further strengthen the lower middle order. There are some promising players in the batting, but they need to find consistency to keep winning matches and hold on to their top 4 positions.

In the bowling attack, Sohail Tanvir will be leading the pack. He’s got the support for left-arm orthodox bowlers Ranjit Kumar and Saif Zaib. Kamal Singh Airee is a key pacer in this squad. He’s shown great promise and can deliver crucial breakthroughs for the side.

Chitwan Rhinos Predicted Playing XI:

Deepak Bohara, Dawid Malan, Dev Khanal, Saif Zaib, Ravi Bopara, Arjun Saud (wk), Kushal Malla (c), Rijan Dhakal, Sohail Tanvir, Kamal Singh Airee, Ranjit Kumar

Chitwan Rhinos Actual Playing XI:

Arjun Saud, Ravi Bopara, Kushal Malla, Saif Zaib, Sohail Tanvir, Ranjit Kumar, Amar Routela, Dev Khanal, Dawid Malan, Saugat Dhakal, Kamal Singh

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

It will be a clear and sunny day with a high of 20 degrees Celsius in Kirtipur. There are no signs of rain or any other weather interruptions. We expect another great game of cricket where bowlers will test the struggling and inconsistent batting orders of both teams.

JKB vs CR Pitch Report

It is a bowling-friendly wicket where batters have seldom dominated proceedings. The average first innings score in the last 5 matches here is 149 runs. Though it has been successfully defended on this ground, we think the team batting first should aim for 160 or more to be in a winning position.

Toss: To Bowl

Teams bowling first have won 4 of the last 5 matches played here. And though Chitwan Rhinos were bowled out for less than 100 runs in their last outing here, they would still back themselves to bowl first and put the Bolts on the back foot. Team bowling first will have the chance to wrap up the first innings for less than a par total.