Lumbini regain momentum with win over Biratnagar

Lumbini Lions, who began this season’s Nepal Premier League (NPL) with a promising victory after finishing last in the previous edition, have regained momentum with a statement win over Biratnagar Kings on Wednesday. 

The team had stumbled to three consecutive defeats earlier, but back-to-back victories including an important win against Pokhara Avengers, have revived their playoff hopes. 

Lumbini opened the tournament strongly but suffered a heavy setback in their second match when Karnali Yaks dominated them through Mark Watt’s outstanding century. 

The defeat badly impacted Lumbini’s confidence and net run rate, leading to two more losses as team coordination faltered despite a balanced squad. 

Adjustments in team composition and the addition of another overseas player before the fifth match helped Lumbini bounce back. Their win over Pokhara hinted at recovery, and the victory against a strong Biratnagar unit has further confirmed their resurgence. 

After winning the toss, Lumbini chose to bowl first. Biratnagar introduced a new opening pair featuring newly arrived South African star Faf du Plessis alongside George Munsey, but the experiment failed. 

Munsey departed for a duck, and du Plessis managed only 12 off 9. Lokesh Bam and Australian batter Sam Heazlett tried stabilizing the innings with a 55-run partnership. Lokesh contributed 35 off 42 balls, Heazlett added 27 off 20, and Basir Ahmad’s 28 off 19 helped push Biratnagar to 144. 

Lokesh later admitted he was unhappy with his performance, saying he failed to convert his start and believed the team fell 20–30 runs short. 

For Lumbini, Sher Malla delivered an excellent spell, taking 3 wickets for 25 runs and earning Player of the Match. Abhishesh Gautam also impressed with a sharp stumping to dismiss du Plessis. 

In response, Lumbini chased the target comfortably with 14 balls to spare. Though Sumit Maharjan fell early and captain Rohit Paudel was dismissed for a duck, opener D’Arcy Short anchored the chase brilliantly with a composed 57 off 44 balls. Niroshan Dickwella remained unbeaten on 29, and Sundeep Jora added a steady 25. 

Jora later said that improved contributions from multiple batters in the last two games, along with Dickwella’s presence have brought balance to the middle order. 

Despite a quiet outing with the bat, du Plessis’ arrival has boosted Biratnagar’s dressing room energy.

The win lifts Lumbini to fourth place with six points from six matches, while Biratnagar remain ahead with eight points. Lumbini still need to defeat Janakpur Bolts in their final match, ideally by a large margin because of their weak net run rate and rely on favorable results from games involving Pokhara, Kathmandu, and Chitwan. 

Biratnagar, meanwhile, face table-toppers Sudurpaschim; a victory there will seal their playoff spot, and even a loss may not harm their chances depending on other outcomes.