27 October, Kathmandu. It seems that it is difficult to score runs in the recent matches in the Nepal Premier League (NPL). While the pitch looks challenging for the batter, the bowler is taking advantage of it.

The low totals in both matches on Friday and the struggles that followed have raised questions about the pitch of the tournament.

In the first match of the day, Sudurpaschim Royals set a target of 126 runs to Kathmandu Gorkhaz. Sudurpaschim, who lost four wickets after scoring eight runs at the start, scored 125 runs with the loss of six wickets in 20 overs with the help of captain Dipendrasingh Airi's half-century. Dipendra scored 60, Tharindu Ratnayake scored an unbeaten 26 and Arif Sheikh added 16 runs.

In reply, Kathmandu could score only 118 runs after losing seven wickets in 20 overs. Sudurpaschim won by seven runs. After the match, the bowler of Sudurpaschim Hemant Dhami said that the ball is spinning and it is benefiting the bowler. According to him, when the wicket is challenging, it is difficult for the batsmen to score runs.

In the second match of the day, Janakpur Bolts scored only 88 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. This is the lowest total by a team batting a full 20 overs this season. Earlier, Pokhara Avengers scored 97 runs against Lumbini Lions.

Chasing a modest target of 89 runs, the victory was not easy for Chitwan Rhinos either. Chitwan was under pressure after losing five wickets in the powerplay. But after David Malan scored an unbeaten 35, the team won by 6 wickets. Malan hit just one six in his 39-ball innings, that too the winning six. A partnership with Kamalsingh Airey took Chitwan to victory.

Earlier too, teams chasing targets in low total games had to struggle. Lumbini Lions restricted Karnali Yaks to 105 runs on Wednesday. While chasing the target, Lumbini also lost six wickets. Similarly, Sudurpaschim Royals did not allow Janakpur Bolts to complete the target of 120 runs, but Janakpur was limited to 93 runs.

These results show that the pitch is not comfortable for batting in NPL. Low-total matches can be exciting, but with batsmen consistently struggling to score runs and teams under pressure despite chasing modest targets, more debate about pitch conditions is warranted.

Earlier, Kathmandu Gorkhaz technical director Sharad Bheshavkar, Biratnagar Kings coach Dhammika Prasad, Lumbini Lions consultant coach Shakti Gauchan have also responded that the pitch is challenging.

Regarding this, Roshan Singh, vice president of Nepal Cricket Association (CAN), said that it is difficult to predict how the pitch will behave before the NPL starts. He says that how a pitch behaves depends on how it is prepared, how it is read and how it is cared for.

According to him, CAN Secretary Paras Khadka has also discussed the matter with the curator. He expressed the expectation that the pitch will be better in the upcoming match.

In the ongoing season of NPL, all the four games of today and yesterday were low scoring. By the end of 25 matches, scores above 150 have been made while batting first in only 9 matches. In 4 matches, the team batting first has not scored even 100 runs.

Struggling batting is seen even when chasing a low score. In the opening game, there are comments that the pitch is not the only thing to blame, but now it is difficult to understand the condition of the pitch.

Better to support the bowler, but balance is essential

Chitwan batsman David Malan said after the match against Janakpur that the pitch was very challenging. According to him, the bowler performed well, but in the second innings, although the behavior of the pitch was somewhat easier, it was difficult to bat.

“The pitch was very tricky. The bowlers did well. If we had to chase a target of 120 runs on this pitch, we would have been under a different kind of pressure," said Malan.

He said that despite losing five wickets in the powerplay, the partnership built in the middle helped to keep the bowling team under pressure and get back into the game. He said that even if they won the toss, they will bat first.

Malan also raised an important point about the condition of the pitch. In many places in the world, pitches will be prepared for T20 cricket where the batsmen can score runs, but he believes that the bowlers are getting more support in the NPL.

"Favoring the bowler is a good thing, but now it seems that the bowler is being favored a little too much here," he said.

According to him, matches can be competitive even with a total of 150 to 160 runs. But he expects that the condition of the pitch will improve in the future and such totals will be made regularly.

Janakpur coach Shivnarine Chandrapal also said that the wicket is not comfortable for batting. Noting that he had been seeing the condition of the wicket since the first match, he admitted that the team could have performed better according to it but did not succeed.

Pitch condition needs improvement

Biratnagar Kings owner Paras Lunia has also pointed out the need for improvement saying that the behavior of the pitch is not stable. In an interview with Online Khabar, he mentioned that fours and sixes are important in today's cricket and said that it is difficult for the team to predict the behavior of the pitch.

The behavior of the pitch is not always the same. We don't know what the pitch will be like today. It should be improved,'' he said.

Similarly, former cricketer Prithu Baskota has said that even though low-scoring matches will be exciting, the runs that the batsmen can make should increase.

In the NPL, the bowler has been performing impressively in low total matches. Chasing a target of 100 or 120 runs, the other team's inability to score easily shows the impact of the bowler. But the pitch supporting the bowler and making the game difficult for the batsman are different matters.

Both the batsman and the bowler play an important role in T20 cricket. The bowler should be able to take wickets and the batsmen should also be able to show their ability. Lack of consistency in pitch behavior makes it difficult for teams to strategize before matches.

Recent NPL matches have shown that pitch conditions and their impact on batting need to be seriously reviewed. While the excitement of low-scoring games is a positive aspect, providing a competitive and relatively balanced pitch throughout the tournament remains a challenge for the organizers.