Dev Khanal's captain's knock set up a one-sided victory for Lumbini Province as they defeated Koshi Province by 148 runs in Match 5 of the Men's PM Cup on March 23, 2026.
Batting first, Lumbini made a strong start through a 50-run opening stand between Ranjeet Khadka and Dev Khanal inside the first seven overs. Khadka scored 35 off 36 balls, while Dev anchored the innings superbly with 92 off 100 deliveries, striking eight fours and a six. He carried the innings deep and kept Lumbini on track even as wickets fell around him.
Santosh Yadav then added valuable middle-order support with 48 off 62 balls, and Rajendra Bam remained unbeaten on 16 to lift Lumbini to 249 all out in 49.3 overs. For Koshi, Sujan Thapaliya was the most successful bowler with 4 for 35, while Dipesh Kandel took 2 for 44.
In reply, Koshi never recovered after a poor start. They were reduced to 29 for 2 in the powerplay and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Ankit Subedi top-scored with 30, while Dipesh Kandel made 15, but no batter was able to convert a start into a substantial contribution.
Lumbini's bowlers dominated throughout the chase. Santosh Yadav led the way with 4 for 11 in seven overs, Rajendra Bam claimed 3 for 30, and Nirmal Gurung chipped in with 2 for 16 as Koshi were bowled out for 101 in 31.4 overs.
The emphatic win was built around Dev Khanal's innings at the top and backed up by a ruthless bowling effort that secured two points for Lumbini.
