Lumbini vs Pokhara Match 13 Preview: Lions vs Avengers

Lumbini meet Pokhara in NPL Match 13 on Tuesday evening at Kirtipur, as the defending champions look to stay unbeaten and the winless Avengers chase a first win.

Tuesday evening brings the second game of the double-header at TU Ground, Kirtipur. Lumbini Lions face Pokhara Avengers in NPL Season 3 Match 13 on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, starting at 5:00 PM NST. After nine matches, Lumbini sit third with three points from two matches and no defeat yet, while Pokhara sit seventh with no points from two matches. Rohit Paudel captains Lumbini with Tinu Yohannan as head coach, and Kushal Bhurtel captains Pokhara with Ajantha Mendis as head coach. Lumbini win would take the champions to five points, while Pokhara win would give the Avengers their first points of the season, and the playing XIs are only confirmed at the toss.

Champions set the pace

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 arrive on Tuesday evening unbeaten, rested since the abandoned game, and with a net run rate cushion that no other side can match. A win over Pokhara would take Lumbini to five points and keep them firmly in the top four, while a defeat would keep them on three points and let the chasing pack close in.

Avengers still waiting

Pokhara have lost twice, and both defeats followed a similar pattern. Sudurpaschim beat the Avengers by six wickets in Match 4, chasing 148 for four in 16.5 overs after Pokhara had posted 145 for seven, and Janakpur beat them by nine runs in Match 9 after Pokhara closed on 138 for nine against 147 for seven. Captain Kushal Bhurtel top scored with 35 off 24 balls in the Janakpur game, and Shakib Al Hasan took three wickets for 15 runs in the same game after scoring 14 off 16 balls and taking one wicket for 24 runs against Sudurpaschim.

After nine matches, Pokhara sit seventh with no points from two matches and a net run rate of minus 0.934, ahead of Kathmandu only on net run rate among the winless sides. Pokhara are the only team never to reach the playoffs in the league, and the Avengers need a win soon to keep this season alive. Bhurtel captains the side with Ajantha Mendis as head coach, and Tuesday evening against the defending champions is a hard place to find a first win. A win over Lumbini would give Pokhara their first points and drag the champions toward the logjam, while a defeat would leave them on no points from three matches.

What to watch

Lumbini bowling against Pokhara batting is the heart of this game. Sher took three wickets for 11 runs in the opener and Mahato took four wickets for 22 runs, and the pair gave Lumbini a bowling attack that bowled a side out for 87. Pokhara batting has not fired yet, with 145 for seven and 138 for nine in two games, and Bhurtel top scoring with 35 off 24 balls on Sunday shows a batting line up still searching for a big innings.

Shakib with bat and ball is the other thread. Shakib took three wickets for 15 runs against Janakpur and scored 14 off 16 balls against Sudurpaschim, and Pokhara need both versions of him on Tuesday evening. Bhurtel as captain carries the chase when Pokhara bat second, and his contest with Lumbini bowling in the early overs should shape the game. Points sharpen everything: Lumbini win would lift the champions to five points, while Pokhara win would open their account and change the shape of the bottom half of the table.

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.