Cricket Kitchen

Kathmandu choose to bat first after winning the toss against Lumbini

December 10, 2025

Kathmandu — In the Eliminator of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) today, Kathmandu Gorkhas won the toss and opted to bat first against Lumbini Lions.

Last season, Kathmandu had missed out on the playoffs due to net run rate, while Lumbini had a poor campaign. This time, however, both teams have reached the playoffs. Despite early wins, both teams had lost momentum midway through the league, but they managed to make a comeback and secure playoff spots.

Kathmandu, which had missed the playoffs last season because of net run rate, started strongly this time. They defeated defending champions Janakpur Bolts by 5 wickets in the opening match. However, Kathmandu then lost two consecutive games against Sudurpashchim Royals and Biratnagar Kings. With impressive victories in their last four matches, they secured a playoff spot—though once again, due to net run rate, they were pushed into the Eliminator.

For Lumbini, last season was forgettable, with only one win and a last-place finish. This season too, they found themselves in trouble. Although they started with a win against Chitwan Rhinos, three consecutive losses made their playoff chances look slim.

However, Lumbini made a strong comeback to finish inside the top four. Early concerns over balance led to some changes, and the decision to move Niroshan Dickwella and Sandeep Jora into the middle order proved effective. If they can continue the momentum from the final matches of the league stage, Lumbini might produce strong results in the playoffs.

Kathmandu and Lumbini have faced each other twice so far, and Kathmandu have won both encounters – by 18 runs in last season’s league stage and by 22 runs this season.

In the current edition, Kathmandu recorded 5 wins and 2 losses in the league stage, while Lumbini finished with 4 wins and 3 losses. The winner of today’s match will face Biratnagar Kings tomorrow in the second qualifier. The winner of that match will play Sudurpashchim Royals in Saturday’s final.

Sudurpashchim booked their second consecutive final appearance by defeating Biratnagar Kings by 77 runs in the first qualifier.