Lumbini Lions registered their first victory in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) after an all-round performance from captain Rohit Paudel. In their fifth match, Lumbini defeated Chitwan Rhinos by 33 runs at the Tribhuvan University Ground in Kirtipur on Tuesday.
Chasing a target of 168 runs, Chitwan were restricted to 134/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Luke Benkenstein was the top scorer for Chitwan with 31 runs, while captain Kushal Malla added 20, Rijan Dhakal remained unbeaten on 15, Ravi Bopara scored 12, and opener Santosh Karki contributed 10 runs.
In the bowling department, Lumbini captain Rohit Paudel was outstanding, picking up 4 wickets for just 17 runs in his 4 overs. He was adjudged the Player of the Match. Similarly, Ramon Simmons claimed 2 wickets, while Saad Bin Zafar and Abhishesh Gautam took 1 wicket each.
Earlier, opting to bat first after losing the toss, Lumbini posted a competitive total of 167/6 in 20 overs. Rohit Paudel and Saad Bin Zafar both played crucial half-century innings. Rohit scored 80 runs off 57 balls, hitting 6 fours and 5 sixes, while Saad Bin Zafar remained unbeaten on 52 runs off 35 balls, with 4 fours and 1 six. Opener Arjun Saud added 15, and Tom Moores contributed 10 runs.
For Chitwan, Rijan Dhakal impressed with the ball, taking 3 wickets, while Kushal Malla and Ranjit Kumar claimed 1 wicket each.
With this win, Lumbini now has 2 points from 5 matches but still faces a tough challenge to secure a playoff spot. They must win their remaining matches and depend on the outcomes of other games.
Meanwhile, Chitwan, despite suffering their second loss in 5 matches, remain in third place with 6 points. Unbeaten Janakpur Bolts lead the table with 8 points from 4 matches, followed by Sudurpaschim Royals, also with 6 points but from 4 matches.
