Kirtipur, Nov. 1 -- The relentless rains that began during the nail-biting final over between Karnali Yaks and Biratnagar Kings on Thursday showed little mercy through Saturday afternoon. While Friday's rest day offered a temporary reprieve, the complete washout of Saturday's opening fixture between defending champions Lumbini Lions and Chitwan Rhinos-abandoned without even a toss-threatened a total gridlock for the Nepal Premier League at the TU International Cricket Stadium.

Then, around 3:30 pm, the gray skies over Kirtipur finally cleared. What followed was a dramatic, high-stakes battle against the clock.

Although the waterlogged ground ruled out any chance of a full 20-over contest, groundstaff launched a massive effort to make th...