Lumbini Lions defeat Sudurpaschim Royals by seven wickets in NPL opener

Defending champions Lumbini Lions recorded a seven-wicket victory over Sudurpaschim Royals in the opening fixture of the third Nepal Premier League edition on Monday. Rohit Paudel, captain of Lumbini, won the toss at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and chose to field first against the runners-up from the previous season. Lumbini's bowling attack restricted Sudurpaschim Royals to 87 runs, dismissing the entire team in 17.2 overs. Fast bowler Kishore Mahato led the performance, taking four wickets for 28 runs across his four overs. Spinner Sher Malla contributed significantly by taking three wickets for 11 runs in his four-over spell. Paudel, Shadley van Schalkwyk, and Tilak Bhandari took one wicket each. During Sudurpaschim's innings, Malla struck early in the third over by trapping captain Binod Bhandari leg before wicket. Mahato dismissed both Aarif Sheikh and Brandon McMullen in the fourth over. For Sudurpaschim, Anil Kharel claimed two wickets with the ball, while captain Dipendra Singh Airee secured one wicket during the second innings. Chasing a target of 88 runs, Lumbini Lions reached 91 runs for the loss of three wickets in 9.5 overs, completing the match with 61 balls remaining. Before the start of play, Prime Minister Balendra Shah officially opened the tournament by handing over the match ball to the umpire.