Kathmandu vs Lumbini Head to Head: Gurkhas Lead 2-1

Kathmandu against Lumbini is a rivalry of low totals and late twists. Kathmandu won the first two meetings by defending modest scores, Lumbini answered with a four-wicket win in the Season 2 Eliminator on their way to the title, and the head to head stands at two wins to one for Kathmandu. Lumbini arrive as defending champions and second in Season 3, Kathmandu as the winless side chasing a first final, and their Season 3 meeting on 7 November will test whether the champions have truly turned the fixture around.

Kathmandu’s two defences, then Lumbini’s revenge

Kathmandu struck first in Season 1, on 10 December 2024, winning the toss and batting first for 103 in 19.2 overs, with Bhim Sharki’s 31 the top score, then bowling Lumbini out for 85 in 19.3 overs to win by 18 runs. Lumbini, led by captain Rohit Paudel, were eliminated from the group stage by that defeat, finishing with two points from six matches.

Kathmandu repeated the trick in Season 2, on 25 November 2025, posting 157 for 8 after losing the toss, with captain Karan KC’s unbeaten 34 off 11 balls (one four and four sixes) lifting them past 150, then bowling Lumbini out for 135 in 19.1 overs to win by 22 runs. Sher Malla’s 34 off 11 balls topped Lumbini’s reply, but the chase never built a partnership.

Lumbini’s revenge came when it mattered most. In the Season 2 Eliminator on 10 December 2025, Kathmandu won the toss and batted first but collapsed to 111 in 19.1 overs, losing their top four batters for 14 runs combined inside the powerplay. Lumbini chased 112 for 6 in 17.4 overs, with D’Arcy Short’s 33 the top score, to win by four wickets and reach the second qualifier — a win that put them on the road to the title.

Champions against chasers in Season 3

Season 3 has flipped the two sides’ positions. Lumbini sit second after six matches, unbeaten with the league’s best net run rate, after beating Sudurpaschim by seven wickets in the opener behind Sher Malla’s three for 11 and Kishor Mahato’s four for 22. Kathmandu sit seventh, winless after losing their first match to Janakpur by eight wickets, with Bhim Sharki’s 33 again their top score — the same batter who topped their Season 1 win over Lumbini.

Paudel’s Lumbini have kept seven players from their title-winning side and re-signed Ruben Trumpelmann and Niroshan Dickwella, while Karan’s Kathmandu wait on David Warner, whose signing is confirmed but who had not arrived as of Match 5. Karan leads Kathmandu’s wicket charts with 25 NPL wickets across the three seasons, and his late hitting won the Season 2 league meeting — but the Eliminator showed Lumbini can now chase down even his side’s modest totals.

Match 18 tests the turnaround

Season 3 Match 18 on 7 November at TU Ground is the next chapter, and it arrives with the table tilted towards Lumbini for the first time in this fixture’s history. Kathmandu’s remaining league matches after Match 18 include Chitwan on 9 November, while Lumbini’s run-in includes Biratnagar on 14 November.

If Lumbini win, they will level the head to head at two wins each and confirm that the Eliminator was a turning point, not a one-off. If Kathmandu win, they will stretch their lead to three wins to one and remind the champions that they have never beaten Kathmandu in a league game. Either way, the fixture’s habit of low totals suggests another tight game.