Where the Lions stand
Five games, three wins, one defeat, one washout. Lumbini sit third on seven points, behind Kathmandu Gorkhas and Sudurpaschim Royals only because both have eight — and ahead of everyone else on run rate. No team in the league has a better net run rate than the Lions’ +1.501, and that number is worth more than it looks: if teams finish level on points, run rate decides who goes through. The full table is on the NPL Points Table.
Below the top four, Janakpur Bolts, Biratnagar Kings and Karnali Yaks all sit on four points, and Pokhara Avengers on two. The gap between third and the chasing pack is three points with two games to play.
The maths is kind to the Lions. Win both remaining games — Karnali on Thursday and Biratnagar on Saturday — and they finish on 11 points, second at worst, because only Kathmandu can reach 12. Win one of the two and they reach nine points, which is enough for the playoffs whatever happens elsewhere: only Kathmandu, the Royals and Chitwan could match nine, and Chitwan would still sit behind them on run rate. Lose both, and the seven points they have now would leave them hoping other results go their way.
From last to first — and now defending it
The Lions’ story is the sharpest turnaround in the Nepal Premier League’s short history. In the first season, in 2024, they finished eighth — bottom of the table, one win from seven games. A year later they were champions.
They finished fourth in the 2025 league stage, then beat Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets in the final, with Ruben Trumpelmann named Player of the Series. Rohit Paudel scored 276 runs and took 10 wickets across that campaign; Sher Malla took 17 wickets; D’Arcy Short made 256 runs. The core of that side stayed together for Season 3, and the club spent more than any other team at the July auction — NPR 44 lakh — with wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh, bought for NPR 20 lakh, the most expensive domestic signing of the auction.
The task this season was different: not to surprise anyone, but to defend a title with every other team aiming at them. Five games in, the defence is holding. The Lions are the only side in the league with a positive run rate above +1.5, and their one defeat came against Kathmandu, the team above them.
Season 3 so far, match by match
Every Lumbini Lions result in NPL Season 3, with the next two fixtures at the bottom. All matches are at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. Every result in the league is on the NPL Results page.
The season opened with a statement: the champions beat the Royals, the team they had beaten in the 2025 final, by seven wickets on the first night. Two more wins followed — Pokhara swept aside by eight wickets, Janakpur beaten by 16 runs. The only defeat came against Kathmandu, the league leaders, who bowled the Lions out for 124 chasing 161. It was the one night the batting did not fire, and it is the only blemish on the record so far. The one game that produced no result was the rain-hit meeting with Chitwan Rhinos on 31 October — the only washout of the season so far.
The squad
Thirteen players, all verified before the season, plus head coach Tinu Yohannan. Rohit Paudel captains the side. The list below is the squad as verified before the season — a small number of overseas signings who have since played for the Lions are still being checked against the match scorecards and will be added here once confirmed.
Aasif Sheikh, the auction’s costliest domestic buy at NPR 20 lakh, is the new face in the group. The rest of the core — Paudel, Sher Malla, Sundeep Jora, Dinesh Adhikari, Dilip Nath, Abhishesh Gautam and Tilak Bhandari — were all retained from the title-winning side. Tinu Yohannan remains head coach.
Three players shaping the title defence
Rohit Paudel, captain. The highest run-scorer in NPL history, and the man the whole campaign is built around — 276 runs and 10 wickets in the 2025 title run, leading from the front with bat and ball.
Sher Malla. The quiet engine of the side. He took 17 wickets in the 2025 season, and he already has eight in Season 3 — sixth on the league’s wicket chart after Match 21, and the Lions’ most reliable wicket-taker.
Aasif Sheikh. The NPR 20 lakh auction buy, brought in to give the top order a specialist opener. He is the one genuinely new piece in a side that otherwise trusts the group that won it last year.
What’s next
Two league games left, then the playoffs. The full list of every NPL fixture is on the NPL Schedule.
- Match 23 — Karnali Yaks vs Lumbini Lions: Thursday 12 November 2026, 4:30 PM NST (3:45 PM PKT, 10:45 AM UTC), TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
- Match 26 — Biratnagar Kings vs Lumbini Lions: Saturday 14 November 2026, 4:30 PM NST (3:45 PM PKT, 10:45 AM UTC), TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
- Playoffs: Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 17 November, the Eliminator on Wednesday 18 November, Qualifier 2 on Thursday 19 November, and the final on Saturday 21 November — every playoff starts at 4:30 PM NST.
Follow every NPL result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.
Frequently asked questions
Who captains Lumbini Lions?
Rohit Paudel, Nepal’s captain and the highest run-scorer in NPL history. He captained the side to the 2025 title, scoring 276 runs and taking 10 wickets in that campaign.
Have Lumbini Lions won the NPL before?
Yes — once. They won Season 2 in 2025, beating Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets in the final after finishing fourth in the league stage. They finished last, eighth, in the first season in 2024.
Where do the Lions stand in NPL 2026?
Third after Match 21, with seven points from five games and the league’s best net run rate (+1.501). Two wins from their last two league games would take them to 11 points and a top-two finish.
When is Lumbini’s next match?
Match 23 against Karnali Yaks on Thursday 12 November 2026, starting at 4:30 PM NST at the TU Ground in Kirtipur. Their last league game is against Biratnagar Kings on Saturday 14 November.