Lumbini Lions have defeated Sudurpaschim Royals to win the title of the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). In the final played today at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Lumbini Lions beat last season’s runners-up Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets to clinch the championship.
With this loss, Sudurpaschim Royals finished as runners-up for the second consecutive time. They had also lost the final of the first edition to Janakpur Bolts. As champions, Lumbini Lions received a cash prize of NPR 11 million, while runners-up Sudurpaschim Royals settled for NPR 5.1 million.
Chasing a modest target of 86 runs set by Sudurpaschim, Lumbini completed the chase in just nine overs, losing four wickets. Dinesh Adhikari was the standout performer for Lumbini, scoring a blistering 42 runs off just 13 balls, including one four and five sixes. Darshi Short added 14 runs off 13 balls with three fours, while captain Rohit Paudel contributed 16 runs from 12 balls, hitting two fours and a six. Niroshan Dickwella remained unbeaten on 11, while Sandip Jora was dismissed for a duck.
For Sudurpaschim in bowling, Hemant Dhami took two wickets, while Avinash Bohara and Dipendra Singh Airee claimed one wicket each.
Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sudurpaschim Royals were bowled out for 85 runs in 19.1 overs. Ishan Pandey top-scored with 33 runs off 51 balls, hitting one four. Captain Dipendra Singh Airee scored 13 runs, while Harmeet Singh and Scott Kuggeleijn chipped in with 10 runs each. None of the other batters managed to reach double figures.
Lumbini Lions’ bowlers delivered an excellent performance, with Sher Malla, Ruben Trumpelmann, and captain Rohit Paudel taking three wickets each, while Tika Bhandari picked up one wicket.
About the Author
