Lumbini Lions opt to field first against Kathmandu Gorkhas

KATHMANDU: Lumbini Lions will field first after winning the toss against Kathmandu Gorkhas in Tuesday’s Nepal Premier League (NPL) match at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.

Captain Rohit Paudel elected to put Kathmandu into bat.

Lumbini, led by Paudel, currently sits fourth with two points, having won one of their two matches so far.

They defeated Chitwan Rhinos by six wickets in their opening game but suffered a nine-wicket loss to Karnali Yaks in their second match.

Kathmandu, captained by Karan KC, has played three games this season, winning one and losing two. They are third on the points table with two points.

The team started their campaign with a five-wicket victory over defending champions Janakpur Bolts, followed by a 29-run defeat to Sudurpaschim Royals and a five-wicket loss to Biratnagar Kings.

In their previous NPL encounter, Kathmandu beat Lumbini by 18 runs. Today’s match is crucial, as both sides need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Kathmandu have made two changes to their playing XI: Dipesh Kandel replaces Pratik Shrestha, and Milind Kumar comes in for Ricardo Vasconcelos.

The team includes Karan KC, Aakash Tripathi, Ben Charlesworth, Dipesh Kandel, Gerhaadr Erasmus, Johan Simpson, Santosh Yadav, Adil Alam Ansari, Rashid Khan, and Sahab Alam.

Lumbini have also made a change, bringing in spinner Tilkaraj Bhandari in place of wicketkeeper Sameer Ali.

Paudel’s side features D’Arcy Short, Sundeep Jora, Sumit, Dilip Nath, Gulbadin Naib, Tilkaraj Bhandari, Sher Malla, Abhishek Gautam, Ruben Trumplemann, and JJ Smit, with Dilip Nath taking up wicketkeeping duties.

Lumbini Lions:

Kathmandu Gorkhas: