Two seasons, two champions, one unlucky finalist. Here is the complete NPL winners list so far: every final, every score, every hero, plus the date Season 3 will crown its champion.
Janakpur Bolts won the first NPL title in 2024, beating Sudurpaschim Royals by 5 wickets. Lumbini Lions won Season 2 in 2025, beating the same opponents by 6 wickets. Season 3 ends with the Grand Finale on 21 November 2026.
Quick Facts
| Season 1 champions (2024) | Janakpur Bolts — beat Sudurpaschim by 5 wickets |
| Season 2 champions (2025) | Lumbini Lions — beat Sudurpaschim by 6 wickets |
| Team in both finals | Sudurpaschim Royals — runners-up twice |
| Season 3 Grand Finale | Saturday 21 November 2026, TU Ground Kirtipur |
| Season 3 winner’s prize | Rs 1.5 crore |
Season 1 Final 2024: Janakpur’s First Title
NPL’s first final was played on 21 December 2024 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, and it set the template for everything that followed: Sudurpaschim Royals in the final, and a chase that went down to the closing overs.
Sudurpaschim, who had beaten Janakpur twice in the league stage, batted first after winning the toss and posted 184 for 9. Saif Zaib top-scored with 69 from 43 balls, but Janakpur’s bowlers kept pulling the total back — Kishore Mahato took 3 for 25 and Mohammed Mohsin 3 for 40, and a total that looked headed past 200 stopped at 184.
Lahiru Milantha owned the chase. The Sri Lankan opener smashed 87 from 49 balls and shared a 73-run opening stand with captain Aasif Sheikh, who made 33 from 19. Harsh Thaker stayed unbeaten on 30 as Janakpur reached 185 for 5 with four balls to spare, winning by 5 wickets. Milantha was named player of the match, while Saif Zaib, with 275 runs and 12 wickets across the season, was the player of the season. Milantha also finished as the season’s top run-scorer with 293 runs. The winners collected Rs 1.1 crore and the runners-up Rs 51 lakh.
Season 2 Final 2025: Lumbini’s Fairytale Turnaround
If Season 1 belonged to Janakpur, Season 2 belonged to the team that had finished bottom of the table a year earlier. Lumbini Lions met Sudurpaschim Royals in the final on 13 December 2025, again at TU Ground, Kirtipur — and this time the final was over in a hurry.
Sudurpaschim won the toss, chose to bat, and were bowled out for just 85 in 19.1 overs. Ishan Pandey top-scored with 33 from 51 balls, but the innings never recovered from Lumbini’s bowling. Captain Rohit Paudel ripped through the middle order with a hat-trick, removing Dipendra Singh Airee, Dipak Bohara and Puneet Mehra in successive deliveries, and finished with 3 for 12. Sher Malla took 3 for 18, and Ruben Trumpelmann cleaned up the tail to finish with 3 for 3 in 2.1 overs.
Lumbini chased 86 in just 9 overs, winning by 6 wickets with 66 balls to spare. Dinesh Adhikari did the damage up front, smashing 42 from 13 balls with five sixes and a four, including four sixes in the first over. Trumpelmann was named player of the match and player of the series. The winners again collected Rs 11 million and the runners-up Rs 5.1 million — the same prizes as Season 1.
The Unlucky Finalists: Sudurpaschim’s Two Finals
No team defines the NPL’s short history quite like Sudurpaschim Royals. They are the only side to reach both finals so far, and the only side to lose two of them. In 2024 they were the team to beat, table-toppers who had already defeated Janakpur twice, and still lost the final. In 2025 they reached the final again and were bowled out for the lowest total in a final, 85.
Sudurpaschim’s record makes them the league’s great unfinished story. They have been the most consistent team across two seasons, with the most wins of any side, yet they have no trophy to show for it. Every other team in the league has either won a title or never reached a final. Sudurpaschim alone sit in between — good enough to reach the last match twice, not yet good enough to win one.
Season 3 is their third chance to fix that. If they reach a third straight final, they will either complete one of franchise cricket’s great redemption stories or extend the most painful streak in the league. Either way, their name is already the most written in NPL final history.
Season 3: Who Lifts the Trophy Next?
Season 3 runs from 26 October to 21 November 2026, with all 32 matches at TU Ground, Kirtipur — the same venue that hosted both previous finals. Twenty-eight league matches are followed by four playoff games: Qualifier 1 on 17 November, the Eliminator on 18 November, Qualifier 2 on 19 November, and the Grand Finale on Saturday 21 November 2026 at 5:00 PM NST.
Defending champions Lumbini Lions opened the season against Sudurpaschim Royals, a repeat of the Season 2 final, and they are chasing back-to-back titles. The winner’s prize has jumped to Rs 1.5 crore this season, up from Rs 11 million in both previous seasons, so the third name on this list will also be the richest champion yet.
Two champions in two seasons, both decided at Kirtipur, both against the same runners-up. The Season 3 winner will join Janakpur Bolts and Lumbini Lions on this list after the 21 November final — and if it is Sudurpaschim Royals, the league’s longest wait will finally be over.
FAQs
Who won the first NPL title?
Janakpur Bolts. They won the inaugural title on 21 December 2024, chasing 185 against Sudurpaschim Royals and winning by 5 wickets at TU Ground, Kirtipur.
Who are the current NPL champions?
Lumbini Lions. They are the defending champions after winning Season 2 on 13 December 2025, bowling Sudurpaschim Royals out for 85 and chasing the target in just 9 overs.
Which team has reached the most NPL finals?
Sudurpaschim Royals. They are the only team to reach both NPL finals so far, in 2024 and 2025, and they lost both.
When is the NPL Season 3 final?
Saturday 21 November 2026, starting at 5:00 PM NST at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. The winner will become the third name on this list.
