Lumbini Beat Pokhara by 8 Wickets in NPL Match 13

Lumbini Lions beat Pokhara Avengers by 8 wickets in NPL Match 13 at Kirtipur, chasing 98 in 11.4 overs after Ruben Trumpelmann took 3 for 16.

Lumbini Lions wrapped up a one-sided evening at TU Ground, Kirtipur. They beat Pokhara Avengers by 8 wickets in Match 13 of NPL Season 3 on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. Pokhara managed only 97 for 9 from 20 overs after Lumbini won the toss and fielded first. After that, Lumbini chased the target down in 11.4 overs. They finished on 98 for 2 with 50 balls still to spare. Captain Rohit Paudel led the chase with 47 not out from 32 balls. Meanwhile, Niroshan Dickwella stayed with him on 27 not out from 26 balls. Ruben Trumpelmann set the win up with 3 wickets for 16 runs, earning Player of the Match. Lumbini stay unbeaten and move to the top of the table with 5 points. Meanwhile, Pokhara remain without a point after three matches.

Pokhara Fold for 97 After Losing Three Wickets for 15

Pokhara Avengers never recovered from a dreadful start after Lumbini captain Rohit Paudel sent them in to bat first. Then, Arjun Kumal fell for a duck in the opening over. He was bowled by Ruben Trumpelmann. After that, Pokhara had lost three wickets for 15 runs inside four overs. Sadeera Samarawickrama made 7 from 8 balls. Bipin Acharya managed only 1 from 8 balls. So Pokhara had almost nothing to build on.

Chamika Karunaratne gave Pokhara something to defend with 25 from 17 balls. He struck two sixes before a direct hit from Niroshan Dickwella ran him out. In addition, Captain Kushal Bhurtel scored 14 from 20 balls. Mahedi Hasan added 13 from 24 balls, and Kiran Thagunna hit 12 from 6 balls. Bipin Khatri finished 6 not out from 7 balls, and Aakash Chand stayed 1 not out from 1 ball. So Pokhara closed on 97 for 9 with 9 extras in the total.

Pokhara scored at only 4.85 runs per over across 20 overs. No batter other than Karunaratne passed 25. In addition, Shakib Al Hasan scored 3 from 8 balls. After that, Arjun Gharti made 6 from 20 balls. Meanwhile, Lumbini bowlers kept the pressure on from the first over to the last. Pokhara lost wickets in clusters throughout the innings. So the total never looked like troubling a Lumbini batting line-up in form.

Trumpelmann Takes Three as Lumbini Bowlers Share the Wickets

Ruben Trumpelmann produced the match-winning spell. He took 3 wickets for 16 runs from four overs and conceded only 4 runs per over. Arjun Kumal fell to him for a duck. Sadeera Samarawickrama was caught by Abhishesh Gautam from his bowling. After that, Arjun Gharti was trapped leg before wicket by him. So Trumpelmann’s early strikes broke Pokhara before the innings could settle.

Tilak Bhandari backed Trumpelmann up with 2 wickets for 22 runs from four overs. He dismissed Bhurtel and Mahedi Hasan. After that, Sher Malla took 1 wicket for 24 runs from four overs. Abhishesh Gautam claimed 1 wicket for 15 runs from four overs with a maiden. In addition, Paudel took 1 wicket for 2 runs from his only over. Finally, Karunaratne was run out, which left Pokhara nine down at the end of 20 overs.

Lumbini used six bowlers in the innings. Five of them took at least one wicket. Kishore Mahato went wicketless with 0 wickets for 14 runs from three overs. However, his economy of 4.67 runs per over kept Pokhara tied down. Also, Lumbini fielding backed the bowlers up. In addition, Trumpelmann held a catch to remove Bhurtel, and Dickwella ran Karunaratne out at a key moment.

Paudel and Dickwella Seal the Chase After Two Early Blows

Lumbini’s chase started with two quick blows. Aasif Sheikh was run out for 7 from 7 balls. D’Arcy Short was caught by Aakash Chand from Bipin Khatri bowling for 13 from 6 balls. Lumbini stood at 21 for 2 after 1.6 overs. Meanwhile, Pokhara had a brief opening. Bipin Khatri finished as Pokhara’s only wicket-taker. He took 1 wicket for 20 runs from two overs.

Rohit Paudel and Niroshan Dickwella then shut the door with an unbroken 77-run stand for the third wicket. Paudel finished 47 not out from 32 balls with three fours and three sixes. Meanwhile, Dickwella finished 27 not out from 26 balls with two fours and one six. Lumbini reached 98 for 2 in 11.4 overs with 50 balls to spare. So the pair never let Pokhara back into the match after the early blows.

Pokhara bowlers found no way back once the stand took hold. Mahedi Hasan bowled four overs for 27 runs without a wicket. Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan conceded only 6 runs from two overs. After that, Aakash Chand gave away 25 runs from 1.4 overs. Bhurtel bowled one over for 12 runs. Karunaratne bowled one over for 6 runs. So Lumbini chased down a small target without ever looking troubled.

Lumbini Go Top as Pokhara Stay Winless

Lumbini’s win keeps their unbeaten record intact. It takes them to the top of the standings with 5 points from three matches. Their record is built on two wins and one no-result from the abandoned Match 7 against Chitwan. Meanwhile, Pokhara remain at the bottom with 0 points from three matches. They are still waiting for a first win of the season. Lumbini next face Janakpur Bolts in Match 14 on Thursday, 5 November. Meanwhile, Pokhara next meet Chitwan Rhinos in Match 17 on Friday, 6 November.

What Comes Next

Lumbini’s position at the top will be tested by the matches ahead, and every result from here changes the shape of the playoff race. Readers can follow the updated standings on the NPL Season 3 points table and every fixture and result on the NPL Season 3 matches page.

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