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 three 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.
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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.
Earlier, Sudurpaschim were bowled out for 87 in 17.2 overs after losing the toss and being sent in to bat. 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.
Lumbini’s fast bowler Kishore Mahato led the attack with four wickets for 28 runs in four overs. Sher Malla took three wickets for just 11 runs in his four overs, while Paudel, Shadley van Schalkwyk and Tilak Bhandari claimed one wicket each.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah inaugurated the tournament at a special ceremony before the match. Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel was also present at the ground.
Organised by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the tournament will run until November 21. The champions will receive Rs 15 million in prize money. CAN has projected total revenue of Rs 1.5 billion from this edition.