Lions beat Sudurpaschim Royals by six-wickets
KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 13
Ruben Trumpelmann's fiery spell, Rohit Paudel's hat-trick, and Sher Malla's three-wicket haul propelled Lumbini Lions to the Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL) title on Saturday.
Lumbini Lions overwhelmed Sudurpaschim Royals in their second successive final, securing an emphatic six-wicket victory to lift the coveted trophy at a packed TU Cricket Stadium in Kathmandu.
Winning the toss, the Royals elected to bat first but were bundled out for a meagre 85 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Trumpelmann ripped through the top order, while Sher Malla and Rohit Paudel tormented the Royals' innings, with Paudel claiming a hat-trick.
Trumpelmann was named Man of the Match for his impressive figures of 2.1-0-3-3. Malla claimed three wickets, while Tilak Bhandari took one. Promoted as an opener, Isan Pandey scored 33 off 51 balls with a boundary. None of the other Royals batters made a notable contribution.
In reply, Lumbini Lions' Dinesh Adhikari opened the innings explosively, scoring 42 runs off just 13 balls, including one four and five towering sixes in the low-scoring encounter.
Hemant Dhami took two wickets for the Royals, while Dipendra Singh Airee and Abinash Bohara chipped in with one wicket each.
Despite losing their first three fixtures, Lumbini Lions clinched the title by winning six consecutive matches thereafter.
Speaking to reporters during the post-match ceremony, Lumbini Lions skipper Rohit Paudel said he was delighted to lift the coveted trophy and win individual awards.
"I'm really happy to lift the coveted trophy, and it feels special to personally receive the bike and the car. I wasn't thinking about awards at all; as the match progressed and the team performed well, the awards followed," Paudel said.
"My family members were in the stands, and I want to take my parents on a tour of the stadium in the car. Who I am today is because of them," he added. Praising Sher Malla's performance, Paudel said, "He has been our trump card. Whenever we needed a wicket, he delivered for us."
"Sharing his joy with reporters, Sher Malla said the hard work had finally paid off, adding that he was immensely happy for the team and the fans."
