Ranjeet Khadka’s maiden ton leads Lumbini past Police by 50 runs

By Cricketing Country | Posted Posted Apr 05, 2026

Lumbini Province secured a second successive win over a departmental side and their third victory overall in the PM Cup, beating defending champions Nepal Police Club by 50 runs in Birgunj on Sunday.

Chasing 256, Nepal Police were bowled out for 206 in 42.5 overs, falling short despite a lone fight from Dinesh Kharel.

Earlier, Lumbini made the most of being asked to bat, with Ranjeet Khadka producing a landmark innings. He struck a run-a-ball 128, hitting 12 fours and three sixes, becoming the first centurion for Lumbini in PM Cup history. Aakash Tripathi (36) and Darsh Sonar (33) provided useful support as Lumbini pushed past the 250 mark.

For Police, Lalit Rajbanshi was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 47. Dinesh Kharel (2 for 36) and Rashid Khan (2 for 50) shared four wickets, while Karan KC, Aarif Sheikh and Deepak Serala chipped in with one each.

In reply, Police never quite built the partnerships needed. Dinesb Kharel stood out with a valiant 94 off 104 balls, striking 10 fours and six sixes, registering his third half-century of the tournament. The rest of the batting line-up struggled to make an impact.

Ajay Chauhan led Lumbini’s bowling effort with 4 for 37, while Dev Khanal picked up 3 for 35. Bir Magar, Santosh Yadav and Nirmal Gurung took a wicket each as Lumbini wrapped up a convincing win.