Cricket Kitchen

Lions and Kings Clash for a Spot in the Final

December 11, 2025

Kathmandu – The second qualifier match of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) is taking place today.

After defeating Kathmandu Gorkhas in yesterday’s Eliminator, Lumbini Lions have reached the second qualifiers of NPL cricket. Now, to enter the final, Lumbini will compete today against Biratnagar Kings.

With Wednesday’s loss, Kathmandu’s journey in the tournament has ended. The winner of today’s second qualifier, scheduled for 4 PM, will face Sudurpaschim Royals in Saturday’s title clash.

Biratnagar, which had a disappointing performance in the previous edition, has emerged as a strong title contender this time. Despite winning its first three matches, Biratnagar looked shaky in the middle of the league stage. However, in the final league match, it not only ended Sudurpaschim’s unbeaten run but also produced a dominant victory. In contrast, Sudurpaschim delivered an impressive one-sided win over Biratnagar in the first qualifier.

Bowling first, Biratnagar restricted Sudurpaschim to 155 runs, but their batters failed to contribute. Unable to stay at the crease, Biratnagar were bowled out for just 78 runs.

Now, to face the same opponent again, Biratnagar needs a comeback similar to what they showed during the league stage. The team, which invested heavily in foreign players, has brought in South African star batter Faf du Plessis to strengthen their chase strategy, and has signed Martin Guptill, Marchant de Lange, and Sam Hazelet to build a quality squad.

They are being supported by Basir Ahmad and Lokesh Bam. In bowling, Sandeep Lamichhane is leading the wicket-takers’ chart, with Marchant de Lange as backup. With Shubham Ranjane and George Munsey back, domestic batters must step up in the middle order.

Lumbini, which had a forgettable performance in the previous edition, has built an underdog identity this season. Having defeated strong teams like Biratnagar in the league stage and Kathmandu in the Eliminator, Lumbini aims to secure another sensational win and move closer to the title.

Although Lumbini started the league with a win over Chitwan Rhinos, three consecutive losses made their playoff chances look bleak. But they made an excellent comeback to finish in the top four.

Despite losing balance early on and making a few changes, the decision to move Niroshan Dickwella and Sandeep Jora into the middle order proved effective. However, the absence of all-rounder Gulbadin Naib could be felt. Although his strike rate has been low, captain Rohit Paudel has been scoring runs.

In bowling, Sher Malla and Ruben Trumpelmann have been providing strong support. If Lumbini can maintain the form they showed in the last three league matches and the Eliminator, they have a chance to produce another good result.

So far, Biratnagar and Lumbini have faced each other twice in the NPL. Biratnagar won last year’s encounter by 2 wickets, while this year Lumbini claimed victory by 5 wickets.