KATHMANDU, Oct 26: Defending champions Lumbini Lions made a commanding start to the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), defeating last season’s runners-up Sudurpaschim Royals by seven wickets in the opening match on Monday.
Chasing a modest target of 88 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Lumbini reached 91 for the loss of three wickets in just 9.5 overs, sealing victory with 61 balls to spare.
Opener D’Arcy Short led the chase with an explosive 40 off just 18 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes. His opening partner, Aasif Sheikh, contributed 32 off 25 balls, including two fours and two sixes. The pair put on 71 runs in 6.2 overs to lay the foundation for Lumbini’s emphatic win.
Niroshan Dickwella was dismissed for seven, while captain Rohit Paudel remained unbeaten on five and Shamim Hussain on one. For Sudurpaschim, Anil Kharel took two wickets and captain Dipendra Singh Airee claimed one.
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Earlier, Sudurpaschim were bowled out for 87 in 17.2 overs after losing the toss and being sent in to bat first. Airee top-scored with 27 off 23 balls. Kharel remained unbeaten on 15, Saif Zaib scored 13 and Binod Bhandari made nine, while the rest of the batting lineup struggled.
Arif Sheikh, Scott Kuggeleijn and Hemant Dhami were dismissed for ducks. Kuggeleijn became the first player in NPL history to be dismissed following a Decision Review System (DRS) review, which was introduced in Nepal for the first time in this edition of the tournament.
Lumbini’s fast bowler Kishore Mahato led the attack with a four-wicket haul for 28 runs in four overs. Sher Malla took three wickets for just 11 runs in his four-over spell, while Paudel, Shadley van Schalkwyk and Tilak Bhandari claimed one wicket each.
The third edition of the NPL features eight franchise teams and will run until November 21. Organised by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the tournament offers Rs 15 million to the winners, up from Rs 11 million in the previous edition. The runners-up will receive Rs 8 million, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will get Rs 4 million and Rs 3 million, respectively.
The tournament has also secured International Cricket Council recognition as an official T20 league, allowing players' performances to count as official T20 records. This edition also marks the debut of the Decision Review System (DRS) in Nepal, featuring ball tracking and reviews for dismissals, among other technological enhancements. CAN has projected total revenue of Rs 1.5 billion from the tournament.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah inaugurated the tournament on Monday, describing the NPL as a major celebration of Nepali sports in a social media message. He welcomed international players and commentators and wished the organisers and participating teams success.
Meanwhile, the participation of some Pakistani players has become uncertain amid reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board has withheld no-objection certificates (NOCs) for players registered in the league. Although Pakistan T20 captain Sahibzada Farhan and Hussain Talat arrived in Nepal, Farhan returned back to play matches in Pakistan and will miss his team’s first two NPL matches, according to Grihendra Ghimire, chairperson of Karnali Yaks. Ghimire clarified that Talat will feature for Karnali Yaks in their inaugural match against Janakpur Bolts on Tuesday.
The PCB has yet to publicly clarify its position.
