Cricket Kitchen

Biratnagar Wins the Toss and Sends Lumbini to Bat First

December 11, 2025

Kathmandu – Biratnagar Kings won the toss and chose to bowl first against Lumbini Lions.

In the ongoing Nepal Premier League in Kirtipur, Lumbini Lions reached the second qualifiers after defeating Kathmandu Gorkhas in yesterday’s Eliminator.

With Wednesday’s loss, Kathmandu’s journey in the tournament had ended. The winner of today’s second qualifier will face Sudurpaschim Royals on Saturday for the title.

Biratnagar, which had a poor performance in the previous edition, is a strong title contender this time. Although they won the first three matches, they faltered midway through the league. In the final league match, they not only ended Sudurpaschim’s unbeaten run but also produced a one-sided result. However, in contrast, Sudurpaschim registered an impressive one-sided victory over Biratnagar in the first qualifier.

Despite starting well with the ball and restricting Sudurpaschim to 155 runs, Biratnagar’s batters failed to contribute. Unable to stay at the crease, they were bowled out for 78 runs.

To face the same team again, Biratnagar needs a comeback similar to their league-stage performance. Having spent heavily on foreign players, the team signed South African star batter Faf du Plessis to strengthen their chase, and added Martin Guptill, Marchant de Lange, and Sam Hazelet to form a strong squad.

They are being supported by Basir Ahmed and Lokesh Bam. In bowling, Sandeep Lamichhane is at the top as the leading wicket-taker, with Marchant de Lange giving him company. With Shubham Ranjane and George Munsey returning, domestic batters need to step up in the middle order.

Lumbini, which had a forgettable performance last season, has built an underdog image this time. After defeating strong teams like Biratnagar in the league stage and Kathmandu in the Eliminator, Lumbini aims to produce another sensational win and get closer to the title.

Although Lumbini started the league with a win over Chitwan Rhinos, three consecutive losses made their playoff hopes look difficult. However, they made an excellent comeback to secure a spot in the top four.

Despite losing balance early on and making some changes, the decision to move Niroshan Dickwella and Sandeep Jora to the middle order proved correct. The absence of all-rounder Gulbadin Naib may be felt. Although his strike rate has been low, captain Rohit Paudel has been scoring runs consistently.

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

So far, Biratnagar and Lumbini have played each other twice in the NPL. In last season’s meeting, Biratnagar won by 2 wickets, while this season Lumbini won by 5 wickets.