Lumbini Lions marched into the NPL 2025 final with a comprehensive 40-run win over Biratnagar Kings in Qualifier 2 at Kirtipur, as their spinners took full control on a sluggish surface.
Defending a modest 134/8, Lumbini rolled Biratnagar for 94 in 17.5 overs, ending the Kings' campaign and setting up a title clash against Sudurpaschim Royals.
Earlier, Lumbini’s batting was built around a solid top-order platform. After the early dismissal of Dinesh Adhikari, D’Arcy Short (45 off 41) and Rohit Paudel (34 off 30) added a crucial 69-run stand for the second wicket, taking the Lions to 69/1 at drinks and 100 in the 16th over. However, regular strikes from Biratnagar's attack, led by Subash Bhandari (3/14) and Pratis GC (3/27), meant the Lions had to settle for 134, boosted late by Ruben Trumpelmann's unbeaten 11 off 8.
That total looked merely par at the halfway stage, but the chase unravelled almost immediately. Ruben Trumpelmann produced a dream first over, removing Martin Guptill and Lokesh Bam to leave Biratnagar reeling. In the very next over, Sher Malla got rid of Faf du Plessis, and the Kings suddenly found themselves in deep trouble with the big overseas names back in the pavilion. The high-profile top order of Guptill, du Plessis and Bam combined for just 5 runs, a blow from which Biratnagar never truly recovered.
On a surface getting slower by the over, Lumbini's spinners then tightened the noose. Tilak Bhandari, operating with clever changes of pace and trajectory, ran through the middle order to finish with a match-winning 3/15 from 4 overs, earning the Player of the Match award.
Abhishesh Gautam backed him superbly with 2/22, while Malla's early strike and JJ Smit’s 2/15 ensured there were no partnerships of substance despite a fighting 34 off 28 from Sam Heazlett and 21 from Naren Bhatta*.
The numbers underline how decisive Lumbini's spin-heavy attack has been this season. Sher Malla now sits on 14 wickets in 9 matches, Trumpelmann has 12 wickets in 9 with the new ball and at the death, and Tilak Bhandari has climbed to 6 wickets from 7 games, peaking at just the right time. On a slow Kirtipur wicket tailor-made for their strengths, the trio combined with Gautam and Smit to dismantle Biratnagar and propel Lumbini Lions into a deserved shot at the NPL 2025 title.
