NPL: Kathmandu beat Lumbini by 36 runs, end Lumbini's unbeaten run

In the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), Kathmandu Gorkhas defeated defending champions Lumbini Lions by 36 runs. In the match played at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Saturday, the defeat ended Lumbini's unbeaten run, which had stood at 10 matches.

Batting first after losing the toss, Kathmandu scored 160 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs. David Warner scored 66 runs off 50 balls, while Sahil added 38 runs off 36 balls. The pair shared a 102-run partnership for the first wicket. However, Kathmandu lost seven wickets in the last five overs. Warner, playing in the NPL for the first time, struck a half-century in his third match for Kathmandu.

Chasing a target of 161 in reply, Lumbini were bowled out for 124 runs in 19.3 overs. Lumbini had lost five wickets for just 21 runs and had lost 6 wickets within the powerplay itself. Sandeep Jora top-scored for Lumbini with 44 runs. Abhishek Gautam added 16 and Niroshan Dickwella scored 14.

Kathmandu's Pakistani pacer Jahandad Khan took four wickets. Karan KC's bowling was also effective. With this win, Kathmandu has moved up to second place on the points table.