Lumbini’s Winning Start

Lumbini Lions started the second season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) with a winning performance, defeating Chitwan Rhinos by 6 wickets. This marked Chitwan’s first loss in the tournament.

Chasing a target of 143 runs, Lumbini reached the total in 18.3 overs, losing 4 wickets. Sandeep Jora and D’Arcy Short opened the innings for Lumbini, with Sandeep making his first appearance as an opener.

The first wicket fell on the last ball of the second over. D’Arcy Short scored 11 runs off 6 balls, including 1 four and 1 six, before being bowled by Rijan Dhakal. Earlier, Deepak Bohara had dropped a catch when D’Arcy was on 10. At the loss of their first wicket, Lumbini had 24 runs on the board.

After D’Arcy’s dismissal, captain Rohit Paudel joined the crease. Sandeep Jora was the second wicket to fall, caught by Kushal Mall off Rijan’s delivery for 28 runs. At 5.4 overs, Lumbini had 51 runs for the loss of 2 wickets.

Rohit Paudel and Dilip Nath then steadied the innings. By the 10th over, Lumbini had 73 runs, needing 70 runs from 60 balls to win. After a 30-run partnership, Dilip was run out for 10 runs, taking the team score to 81.

Chitwan missed a crucial chance to take the fourth wicket. Gulbadin, on 29 runs, survived a dropped catch off Kamal Aire by Sohel Tanbir. Later, Sohel dismissed Rohit, who had scored 39 runs off 44 balls. At that point, Lumbini needed only 2 more runs to win.

Gulbadin remained unbeaten on 44 runs off 24 balls, hitting 3 fours and 3 sixes. In bowling, Rijan Dhakal took 2 wickets, while Sohel claimed 1 wicket.

Earlier, after winning the toss, Lumbini chose to bowl first. Chitwan Rhinos managed 142 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

Lumbini struck early, taking the first wicket on the second ball of the first over. Ruben Trumplman bowled David Milan for a golden duck.

At 1 run for 1 wicket, Chitwan lost their other opener, Deepak Bohara, stumped by Abhinesh Gautam. Deepak scored 10 runs, and the team had reached 16 runs at that stage. By the end of the first powerplay, Chitwan had scored only 32 runs.

In the eighth over, Dev Khanal was caught by Sandeep off Abhinesh’s bowling for 14 runs from 19 balls. Dev had been run out in Chitwan’s previous game as well.

By the 10th over, Lumbini had restricted Chitwan to 51 runs, putting the batting side under pressure. Ser Malle was on 12 when Kushal missed a return catch. Kushal and Ravi Bopara then added 44 runs for the fourth wicket. Kushal was dismissed for 21 off Ruben’s bowling, and Chitwan’s score was 87 for 4.

Ravi Bopara, settled at the crease, scored a brilliant 52 off 44 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes, marking his second consecutive half-century—he had also scored a fifty against Karnali in the previous match.

Safe Jeb and Bopara added 41 runs for the fifth wicket. Safe Jeb, who had scored 15, was caught by Rohit off Ruben’s bowling. Shortly after, Gulbadin Naib took the key wicket of Ravi, ending his 66-run innings from 55 balls, which included 4 fours and 3 sixes.

In bowling, Ruben took 3 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs, while Abhinesh and Gulbadin claimed 2 wickets each.

With this result, Chitwan now has 2 points from 2 matches, having won 1 and lost 1. Lumbini also has 2 points from their opening victory.

Last season, Lumbini, who had finished at the bottom of the table, managed only one win against Chitwan. This season, however, they started strong by defeating Chitwan in their very first match. Tomorrow, Pokhara Rhinos will face Sudurpaschim Royals, with the match starting at 4 PM.