Lumbini Lions completed a fairytale turnaround in Nepal Premier League Season 2, crushing Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets with 66 balls to spare to lift their maiden NPL title at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Saturday.
Defending champions Royals, who had topped the league table and beaten Lumbini comfortably in the group stage, produced a stunning collapse with the bat. Opting to bat first on a fresh day-night surface – a decision that backfired badly – they were bundled out for just 85 in 19.1 overs. Lumbini then chased the target in a blaze, racing to 86/4 in only 9 overs, with Dinesh Adhikari’s 42 off 13 balls turning the finale into a procession.
Trumpelmann, Paudel and co dismantle Royals
Royals' problems began almost immediately after winning the toss and choosing to bat. Without marquee overseas batters Chris Lynn and Josh Brown, their top order lacked its usual intimidation, and Lumbini’s attack sensed an opportunity.
Player of the Series Ruben Trumpelmann struck first, removing Binod Bhandari for a duck, before Sher Malla trapped Aarif Sheikh and accounted for Dipendra Singh Airee’s menacing presence in the middle overs. Opener Ishan Pandey fought a lone battle with 33 off 51 balls, but the innings never escaped first gear.
The defining spell of the final came from Lumbini skipper Rohit Paudel. Brought on after the powerplay, he ripped through the middle order with a hat-trick, dismissing Dipendra Singh Airee, Dipak Bohara and Puneet Mehra in successive deliveries. Royals slumped from 44/3 to 44/6 in the 11th over, and Paudel completed figures of 3/12 from 4 overs, including the tournament's second hat-trick, after Shahab Alam of Kathmandu Gorkhas.
From there, Royals were merely hanging on. Harmeet Singh (10 off 11) and Hemant Dhami (7 off 9) tried to drag the score towards three figures, but Trumpelmann returned to clean up the tail, finishing with 3/3 in 2.1 overs. Malla’s big-match temperament shone again with 3/18, while Abhishesh Gautam chipped in with 2/15 as Sudurpaschim folded for 85, never once looking like a side playing its second consecutive final.
CHAMPIONS ! #NPL2025 pic.twitter.com/yiwoIbUYWH
— Lumbini Lions (@LumbiniLions) December 14, 2025
Adhikari blitz kills the chase inside three overs
If there were any nerves in the Lumbini camp about a tricky chase on a final’s night, Dinesh Adhikari blasted them away in the opening over. Facing Royals captain Dipendra Singh Airee, he launched a stunning assault: wide, 6, 6, 6, 6, 2 – 27 runs off the first over. By the time the ball was changed, the contest was effectively over.
Adhikari stormed to 26 off 6 balls and reached 42 off just 13, peppering the leg side boundary with four sixes and one four in an innings that will be replayed in NPL highlight reels for years. At the other end, D’Arcy Short played second fiddle, making 14 off 13 in a 58-run opening stand that came in only 4.1 overs.
Royals did find minor respite when Hemant Dhami removed both openers in quick succession – Short bowled and Adhikari caught in the deep – and Abinash Bohara dismissed Paudel for a brisk 16. Sundeep Jora’s departure at 85 briefly delayed the celebrations, but by then Lumbini needed just one run.
Niroshan Dickwella (11* off 12) and Dilip Nath (1* off 1) completed the formalities, sealing a thumping victory with 11 overs to spare. Lumbini’s scoring chart underlined their dominance: 50 came up in 3.3 overs, 72 by the end of the mandatory powerplay, and the worm graph showed a red line streaking away from the blue almost from ball one.
Trumpelmann doubles up, Lumbini sweep the awards
For his all-round influence across the tournament and decisive spell in the final, Ruben Trumpelmann was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series, finishing with 15 wickets and valuable runs down the order.
Lumbini’s spin duo also walked away with major honours. Tilak Raj Bhandari was adjudged the Presidential Graduate School Emerging Player of the Tournament, while Sher Malla claimed the Pulsar Emerging Player of the Tournament award after a stellar season with the ball. Captain Rohit Paudel capped his campaign by winning the Pulsar Highest Nepali Run-scorer of the Tournament.
From early wobble to lifting the trophy
The title marked a remarkable narrative arc for Lumbini Lions. They began the season with a win but then slipped to three consecutive defeats, leaving their campaign on the brink. From there, they stitched together a sequence of five straight victories, including back-to-back knockout wins over Biratnagar Kings and a clinical dismantling of the table-topping Royals in the final.
Tough luck, finishing as runners-up again. But proud of our boys fight all season. To our fans, thank you for your support throughout🟡#SudurpaschimRoyals #TUGoesYellow #SupaRoyals #SudurKoSaan #SBLNPL2 pic.twitter.com/1D1VkwBseM
— Sudurpaschim Royals (@Suparoyals) December 13, 2025
In contrast, Sudurpaschim – who had beaten Lumbini comfortably earlier in the league and then stormed into the final with a dominant performance in Qualifier 1 – chose the wrong day for their worst batting display. Their call to bat first on a seamer-friendly evening, combined with the absence of power hitters like Lynn and Brown, left the door wide open, and Lumbini’s bowling unit barged through it with ruthless precision.
As fireworks lit up the Kirtipur sky, it was Lumbini’s players who formed a jubilant huddle at the centre, roaring in celebration of a campaign that had swung from crisis to coronation. Lumbini Lions are the new champions of the Nepal Premier League, and on the evidence of this final, they may be the side to beat for seasons to come.
