NPL Playoff Hopes Alive: Lumbini Lions Beat Biratnagar Kings by 5 Wickets

3rd December 2025, Kathmandu

Lumbini Lions secured a crucial victory against the Biratnagar Kings, winning by five wickets to keep their Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2025 playoff hopes alive.

Lumbini Lions Beat Biratnagar Kings

This high-stakes match, the 22nd of the tournament, was played at the Tribhuvan University (TU) Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Wednesday, drawing a massive crowd for the league’s newest star.

Biratnagar’s Innings: Faf du Plessis’s Debut and Lokesh Bam’s Anchor

Biratnagar Kings, batting first after losing the toss, posted a challenging total of 144 runs for 8 wickets in their 20 overs.

Faf du Plessis Fails to Fire on NPL Debut

The highly anticipated debut of South African veteran Faf du Plessis (a former IPL winner) was the main attraction. Over 10,000 fans gathered to watch the 41-year-old. However, his performance was brief, as he managed only 12 runs off 9 balls (including two fours) before being stumped by Niroshan Dickwella off young spinner Abhishesh Gautam.

Top Performers for Biratnagar

Lokesh Bam was the top scorer, anchoring the innings with a patient 35 runs off 42 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes).

Australian batter Sam Heazlett contributed 27 runs off 20 balls.

All-rounder Basir Ahmad continued his excellent form, adding a quick 28 runs off 19 balls.

The Kings’ total was primarily built around a crucial 55-run partnership between Bam and Heazlett, but a flurry of late wickets restricted their final score.

D’Arcy Short Powers Lumbini’s Chase

The Lumbini Lions successfully chased the 145-run target, completing the victory in 17.4 overs with five wickets in hand.

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Match-Winning Knock

The chase was spearheaded by Australian opener D’Arcy Short, who struck his first NPL fifty, scoring a brilliant 57 runs off 44 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes). His efforts laid a solid foundation for the win.

Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella provided the finishing touch, remaining unbeaten on 29 runs off 22 balls.

Sandeep Jora chipped in with a vital 24 runs off 15 balls.

Key Bowling Performance

Left-arm spinner Sher Malla was the star with the ball for Lumbini, claiming a match-high 3 wickets for 25 runs in his four overs.

For Biratnagar, captain Sandeep Lamichhane and Subash Bhandari each took two wickets.

NPL Points Table: Playoff Race Heats Up

This victory moves Lumbini Lions up the table and keeps the battle for the playoffs tight.

Lumbini Lions now have 6 points from three wins out of six matches, climbing to fourth place.

Biratnagar Kings remain in third place with 8 points from four wins in six matches, but their playoff qualification is now delayed.

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