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| Event | 2025 Nepal Premier League | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Lumbini Lions won by 6 wickets | |||||||
| Date | 13 December 2025 | ||||||
| Venue | Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur | ||||||
| Player of the match | Ruben Trumpelmann (LL) | ||||||
| Umpires | Lyndon Hannibal (SL) Raveendra Wimalasiri (SL) | ||||||
← 2024 2026 → | |||||||
The 2025 Nepal Premier League final was played on 13 December 2025 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. It was the final match of the second season of the Nepal Premier League. Lumbini Lions defeated Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets to win their maiden Nepal Premier League title. [1] [2] [3]
Sudurpaschim Royals qualified for the final after finishing at the top of the league stage and winning Qualifier 1. [4] Lumbini Lions reached the final after winning Qualifier 2. [5]
After winning the toss, Sudurpaschim Royals elected to bat first but were bowled out for 85 runs in 19.1 overs. Lumbini Lions chased the target comfortably, reaching 86 runs for the loss of four wickets in just 9 overs. Ruben Trumpelmann was named the player of the match for his decisive bowling performance. [6]
The 2025 season of the Nepal Premier League was the second edition of the tournament, organised by the Cricket Association of Nepal. The competition featured eight teams, with all matches including the playoffs held at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. Sudurpaschim Royals and Lumbini Lions qualified for the Final. [7]
Sudurpaschim Royals had a successful league stage with only 1 loss against Biratnagar Kings. They won the rest 6 matches garnering a total of 12 points finishing atop the league table. They defeated Biratnagar Kings in Qualifier 1 to gain their place in the Final.
Lumbini Lions finished fourth in the league table winning 4 games and losing 3 games against Sudurpaschim Royals, Karnali Yaks and kathmandu Gorkhas to end with a total of 8 points. Lumbini Lions began the tournament with three consecutive losses but recovered with three straight league-stage wins to reach the playoffs. They then maintained their momentum by winning the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the final.
Sudurpaschim Royals 85 (19.1 overs) | v | Lumbini Lions 86/4 (9 overs) |
Dinesh Adhikari 42 (13) Hemant Dhami 2/9 (1 overs) |
Sudurpaschim Royals (SR) won the toss and elected to bat, but their innings was largely defined by the struggle of their top order. Ishan Pandey was the standout performer and the best batter for the side, anchoring the innings with a gritty 33 runs off 51 balls. While the rest of the team faltered around him, Pandey's patience provided the only stability in an otherwise collapsing batting lineup, though his strike rate remained low due to the constant fall of wickets at the other end. [9]
The rest of the batting unit struggled to find any momentum against the Lions' disciplined pace and spin. Captain Dipendra Singh Airee managed to score 13 runs before his dismissal, while Harmeet Singh and Scott Kuggeleijn were the only other players to reach double figures, contributing 10 runs each. The remaining batters, including Deepak Bohara, Puneet Mehra, and the lower order, failed to resist, with several falling for ducks or single-digit scores, leading to a total of 85 runs in 19.1 overs. [10]
The Lumbini Lions' bowling attack was led by a masterful performance from captain Rohit Paudel, who turned the game with a historic hat-trick, finishing with figures of 3 wickets for just 12 runs. He was brilliantly supported by Scottish international Ruben Trumpelmann, who delivered one of the most economical spells in NPL history, taking 3 wickets for a mere 3 runs in 3.1 overs. Sher Malla also dismantled the lower order, claiming 3 wickets for 18 runs, as the Lions' bowlers combined to concede only 5 extras throughout the innings. [9]
Chasing a target of 86, the Lumbini Lions (LL) innings was dominated by the explosive batting of Dinesh Adhikari, who was the best batter of the chase. Adhikari demoralized the Royals' defense in the very first over, hitting four sixes against Dipendra Singh Airee to collect 27 runs. He played a match-winning cameo of 42 runs off only 13 balls, striking at over 300, which ensured that the required run rate remained negligible for the remainder of the match. [9]
The middle order followed Adhikari's aggressive lead to finish the game quickly. Opener D'Arcy Short scored a brisk 14 runs off 11 balls before being caught, while captain Rohit Paudel contributed a steady 16 runs off 12 balls, including two fours and a towering six. Wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella remained not out on 11 runs, steering the team past the finish line in just 9.0 overs. Despite losing 4 wickets in the pursuit of quick runs, the Lions' batters stayed ahead of the game at every stage. [10]
The Sudurpaschim Royals' bowling attack struggled to contain the early onslaught, though Hemant Dhami emerged as their most effective bowler, taking 2 wickets for 22 runs in his 2-over spell. Abinash Bohara managed to pick up 1 wicket while conceding 18 runs, and captain Dipendra Singh Airee claimed 1 wicket for 31 runs after his expensive opening over. Ultimately, the bowlers had too few runs to defend, as the Lions reached 89/4 to secure a 6-wicket victory and the 2025 NPL title. [10]
Source: ESPNcricinfo [9]
| Sudurpaschim Royals innings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | |
| Ishan Pandey | c Subasingha b Malla | 33 | 51 | 1 | 0 | 64.71 | |
| Binod Bhandari | c Adhikari b Trumpelmann | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Sheldon Jackson | lbw b Trumpelmann | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | |
| Aarif Sheikh | lbw b Malla | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | c Trumpelmann b Paudel | 13 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 65.00 | |
| Deepak Bohara | c Jora b Paudel | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Puneet Mehra | lbw b Paudel | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Harmeet Singh | c Short b Malla | 10 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 90.91 | |
| Scott Kuggeleijn | c Jora b Bhandari | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 125.00 | |
| Hemant Dhami | not out | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 77.78 | |
| Abinash Bohara | c Short b Trumpelmann | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | |
| Extras 4 (lb 1, w 3) Total 85 (19.1 overs) | 2 | 4 | 4.43 RR | ||||
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Binod Bhandari, 0.6 ov), 2-7 (Sheldon Jackson, 2.3 ov), 3-19 (Aarif Sheikh, 4.3 ov), 4-44 (Dipendra Singh Airee, 10.4 ov), 5-44 (Deepak Bohara, 10.5 ov), 6-44 (Puneet Mehra, 10.6 ov), 7-62 (Harmeet Singh, 14.4 ov), 8-71 (Ishan Pandey, 16.3 ov), 9-84 (Scott Kuggeleijn, 18.3 ov), 10-85 (Abinash Bohara, 19.1 ov)
| Lumbini Lions bowling | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ | Wides | NBs |
| Ruben Trumpelmann | 2.1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1.38 | 1 | 0 |
| Sher Malla | 4 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 4.50 | 1 | 0 |
| Abhishek Gautam | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 5.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Rohit Paudel | 4 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 3.00 | 1 | 0 |
| Tilak Bhandari | 4 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 6.50 | 0 | 0 |
| Movin Subasingha | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Lumbini Lions innings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | |
| Dinesh Adhikari | c Kuggeleijn b Dhami | 42 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 323.07 | |
| D'Arcy Short | b Dhami | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 107.69 | |
| Niroshan Dickwella | not out | 11 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 91.66 | |
| Rohit Paudel | c Airee b A Bohara | 16 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 133.33 | |
| Sundeep Jora | c A Bohara b Airee | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Dilip Nath | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Extras 2 (lb 1, w 1) Total 86/4 (9 overs) | 7 | 6 | 9.55 RR | ||||
Fall of wickets: 1-58 (D'Arcy Short, 4.1 ov), 2-59 (Dinesh Adhikari, 4.3 ov), 3-84 (Rohit Paudel, 7.5 ov), 4-85 (Sundeep Jora, 8.5 ov)
| Sudurpaschim Royals bowling | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ | Wides | NBs |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | 2 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 14.50 | 1 | 0 |
| Scott Kuggeleijn | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Harmeet Singh | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 6.50 | 0 | 0 |
| Hemant Dhami | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 9.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Ishan Pandey | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Abinash Bohara | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 |
