1
W
2
1
1
1
= 6
Match Details
LBL vs SPR, 1st T20, NPL 2026 summary
LBL
88-3(9.5)
Lumbini Lions won by 7 wickets 🏆
SPR
(17.2)87-10
+
P'ship : 6(4)
16:09
Lumbini Lions beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 7 wickets | Match 1…
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Manan Mehta, and scorer, Manish Bishnoi. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining.Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!
But the Nepal Premier League has only just begun, and tomorrow brings a double-header in Kirtipur. Biratnagar Kings take on Chitwan Rhinos at 12:15 PM IST (12:30 PM Local Time), before Janakpur Bolts meet Karnali Yaks in the afternoon clash at 4:45 PM IST (5 PM Local Time). Two more matches, four teams ready to make their mark, and another day of T20 drama await.
And so, the defending champions have made their first statement of the season. The bowlers were relentless, the fielding sharp, and Short’s explosive start ensured there was never a serious chase to complete. For Sudurpaschim Royals, this is a painful beginning, with their batting collapsing under pressure in a repeat of the struggles they would have hoped to leave behind after last season’s final. For Lumbini Lions, the message is clear - the crown remains theirs to defend, and they have arrived with intent.
Rohit Paudel (Lumbini Lions Captain): "[On the thumping win] Good start to us for this tournament, especially the way our bowlers bowled in this first match. Especially Kishore, very good spell from him. A four wicket one. And, Sher Malla, he has been performing well for us last season also and he started very well this season also. So, I think overall as a fielding unit also we were all always on top. And, when it came to batting, D'Arcy and Asif gave a good start to us and, I think that was game for us.
[On this being a similar match to the final last year] To be honest, when I came to play this game, I did not think that we would restrict them again to 85, because they are a very good side. Credit must go to our bowling unit, the way they bowled. And yeah, good start to the tournament, will stay grounded and a lot more to come.
[On the importance of Aasif Sheikh at the top] Yeah, absolutely, when we got him in the auction, we knew that he's someone who will win games for you. He's a perfect match-winner for us. So, if he goes like this in this tournament, I think he'll be the best batter of Nepal and in the tournament.
[On today's occasion and the Prime Minister attending it] Yeah, absolutely. Honorable Prime Minister was there. We were happy to see him here, in ground. And, as you mentioned that this is the festival of Himalayas and people of Nepal are celebrating. And, the next one month they'll. The exciting time is coming and they will celebrate it. And, NPL has grown a lot, for last 2 years and this is the third one. It has grown a lot. The credit must go to those who have organized it. And, hopefully in coming days, the crowd will enjoy the tournament."
[On this being a similar match to the final last year] To be honest, when I came to play this game, I did not think that we would restrict them again to 85, because they are a very good side. Credit must go to our bowling unit, the way they bowled. And yeah, good start to the tournament, will stay grounded and a lot more to come.
[On the importance of Aasif Sheikh at the top] Yeah, absolutely, when we got him in the auction, we knew that he's someone who will win games for you. He's a perfect match-winner for us. So, if he goes like this in this tournament, I think he'll be the best batter of Nepal and in the tournament.
[On today's occasion and the Prime Minister attending it] Yeah, absolutely. Honorable Prime Minister was there. We were happy to see him here, in ground. And, as you mentioned that this is the festival of Himalayas and people of Nepal are celebrating. And, the next one month they'll. The exciting time is coming and they will celebrate it. And, NPL has grown a lot, for last 2 years and this is the third one. It has grown a lot. The credit must go to those who have organized it. And, hopefully in coming days, the crowd will enjoy the tournament."
Dipendra Singh Airee (Sudurpaschim Royals Captain) [Translated from Nepali Language]: "[Tough luck this evening. Tell me about the first innings. Was the total simply not enough? Why was batting so difficult tonight?] We couldn't bat for long enough. We couldn't make good use of the powerplay. We lost one or two wickets early, and then another wicket fell. We lost wickets very quickly during the powerplay, which is why we ended up with such a low score.
[ Was the pitch a little slow, or what made batting difficult for your team?] The pitch wasn't particularly slow, but the batters chose poor deliveries to play at. The good deliveries were coming in, and then ... so ... yeah.
[Does this remind you a little of last year's final? It was very similar — batting first, getting bowled out for around 80, and then the opposition found the chase easy. It must be very disappointing] Of course, we're disappointed. We'll try to play better in the next game and improve our performance going forward.
[One final question: will you come back stronger in the next game?] Yes."
[ Was the pitch a little slow, or what made batting difficult for your team?] The pitch wasn't particularly slow, but the batters chose poor deliveries to play at. The good deliveries were coming in, and then ... so ... yeah.
[Does this remind you a little of last year's final? It was very similar — batting first, getting bowled out for around 80, and then the opposition found the chase easy. It must be very disappointing] Of course, we're disappointed. We'll try to play better in the next game and improve our performance going forward.
[One final question: will you come back stronger in the next game?] Yes."
Sher Malla (POTM): "[On his bowling performance] First of all, thank you so much. We knew that the initial few first overs would be tough. We were mentally prepared for it from the beginning, and they were last year's defending champions, so it was a very important match. A good start, so I'm very happy that I did well and the team won.
[On dismissing Sherfane Rutherford] I am very happy because he is a top star. He has played and performed well in the league. Getting him out felt really good, and yeah.
[On the win against a consistent side like Sudurpaschim Royals] Yes, exactly. They are a very good and consistent team. Last year they did incredibly well, which everyone knows. Winning the first match against them today has significantly boosted our confidence. We want to play upcoming matches well too."
[On dismissing Sherfane Rutherford] I am very happy because he is a top star. He has played and performed well in the league. Getting him out felt really good, and yeah.
[On the win against a consistent side like Sudurpaschim Royals] Yes, exactly. They are a very good and consistent team. Last year they did incredibly well, which everyone knows. Winning the first match against them today has significantly boosted our confidence. We want to play upcoming matches well too."
Player of the Match: Sher Malla
Fours of the Match: D'Arcy Short
Energetic Moment of the Match: Kishore Mahato
Power Player of the Match: D'Arcy Short
Commentary