Lumbini vs Janakpur Match 14 Preview: Lions vs Bolts

Lumbini meet Janakpur in NPL Match 14 on Thursday at Kirtipur, as two top four contenders face off in the first game of the double-header.

Thursday opens with a top four clash at TU Ground, Kirtipur. Lumbini Lions face Janakpur Bolts in NPL Season 3 Match 14 on Thursday, 5 November 2026, starting at 12:30 PM NST. After nine matches, Lumbini sit third with three points from two matches and no defeat yet, while Janakpur sit second with four points from three matches and two wins in a row. Rohit Paudel captains Lumbini with Tinu Yohannan as head coach, and Harmeet Singh captains Janakpur with Shivnarine Chanderpaul as head coach. Form lines in this preview are stamped after nine matches, since both sides play earlier in the week, and the playing XIs are only confirmed at the toss.

Lions unbeaten

Lumbini opened their title defence with a bowling display that set the tone for the season. Sudurpaschim were bowled out for 87 in the season opener on 26 October, and Lumbini chased 88 for three in 9.5 overs to win by seven wickets. Sher Malla took three wickets for 11 runs and was named Player of the Match, and Kishor Mahato took four wickets for 22 runs in the same game. Captain Rohit Paudel scored five not out off three balls and took one wicket, and the champions looked sharp in both halves of the game.

Lumbini were due to face Chitwan in Match 7 on Saturday, but that game was abandoned without a toss after rain, and each side took one point. After nine matches, Lumbini sit third with three points from two matches and a net run rate of plus 4.599, the best in the league. Rohit captains the side with Tinu Yohannan as head coach, and the champions carry an unbeaten start plus a net run rate cushion that no other side can match. Lumbini also play Pokhara in Match 13 on Tuesday evening before this game, so Thursday form will carry one more result, and a win over Janakpur would strengthen their hold on a top four place.

Bolts in form

Janakpur started with a defeat and have won twice since. Karnali beat the Bolts by 19 runs in Match 3 after Janakpur were bowled out for 113 in 19.3 overs, and Janakpur answered with an eight wicket win over Kathmandu in Match 5, chasing 116 for two in 17.2 overs after Kathmandu had posted 115 all out. Moeen Ali scored 58 not out off 51 balls in that chase, and Rahul Yadav took four wickets for 31 runs and was named Player of the Match. Sunday brought a second straight win, as Janakpur defended 147 for seven against Pokhara in Match 9 and won by nine runs, with Pokhara closing on 138 for nine.

Trit Raj Das scored 61 off 55 balls in the Pokhara win and was named Player of the Match, and Moeen took three wickets for 13 runs in four overs to break the chase. Rahul has six wickets from three matches in Season 3, and Janakpur bowling has now defended a total and chased one in the space of two games. After nine matches, the Bolts sit second with four points and a net run rate of plus 0.141, behind Karnali only on net run rate among the sides on four points. Harmeet Singh captains the side with Shivnarine Chanderpaul as head coach, and Janakpur also play Biratnagar in Match 12 on Tuesday before this game, so Thursday form will carry one more result, and a win over Lumbini would keep them firmly in the top two.

What to watch

Captain against captain is the heart of this game. Rohit leads the defending champions and has already produced a wicket with the ball in the opener, while Harmeet leads a Janakpur side on two straight wins. Harmeet marshaling a bowling attack that defended 147 against Pokhara should shape the early overs at Kirtipur.

Spin in the middle overs is the other thread. Sher took three wickets for 11 runs in the opener and Mahato took four wickets for 22 runs, and Lumbini bowling bowled a side out for 87. Janakpur bowling answered that kind of threat against Pokhara, with Moeen taking three wickets for 13 runs and Rahul taking wickets through the season, and Das scoring 61 off 55 balls on Sunday gives Janakpur batting a form player at the top. Both sides sit in the top four after nine matches, and Thursday winner will strengthen a top four place while the loser will feel the chasing pack close in.

How to watch

NetTV streams the match worldwide, and Himalaya TV broadcasts it in Nepal. In India, Star Sports carries it on television and FanCode streams it. Tickets are sold through eSewa, the league’s exclusive ticketing partner, with General tickets at NPR 500 and Premium at NPR 1,000. All 28 league-stage matches of Season 3 are played at TU Ground, Kirtipur.