Biratnagar Kings vs Lumbini Lions — Match 26 Preview

Biratnagar Kings vs Lumbini Lions, Saturday, 14 November 2026 at 4:30 PM NST

The 26th match of the Nepal Premier League season is the only game of Saturday 14 November 2026, starting at 4:30 PM NST — 10:45 AM UTC, 3:45 PM PKT — at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. It is the last match before the final day of the league stage on Sunday, when two more games decide the playoff places.

This is the first meeting of the two sides this season. Lumbini Lions sit third on 7 points from five matches with the league's best net run rate, +1.501. Biratnagar Kings sit sixth on 4 points from five matches, and this is their last league game. The full scorecard will appear on this page once the match is played.

Saturday's game is a test of two very different strengths: Biratnagar have the league's top run-scorer in Lokesh Bam, while Lumbini have the league's best net run rate and the most balanced side in the competition. One big innings could be enough — or Lumbini's depth could wear Biratnagar down.

Scorecard

Match yet to begin. The scorecard appears here once the match starts.

Live

Match yet to begin. Live updates appear here once the match starts.

Recent form

Recent results only — every score below is from Season 3, matches 1 to 21.

Biratnagar's season has swung wildly. They lost to Chitwan Rhinos by 8 runs in Match 2, beat Karnali Yaks by 4 wickets in a 187-run chase in Match 6, beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 35 runs in a five-over game in Match 8, and beat Janakpur Bolts by 2 runs in Match 12. Then came Match 15: bowled out for 83 by Kathmandu Gorkhas, beaten by 9 wickets. The batting has produced 187/6 and 174/3 — and 83 all out. Which Biratnagar turns up on Saturday decides the game.

Lumbini have been the steadiest side in the league. They beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 7 wickets in the opener, had their game with Chitwan Rhinos abandoned in Match 7, beat Pokhara Avengers by 8 wickets in Match 13 and Janakpur Bolts by 16 runs in Match 14, and lost only to Kathmandu Gorkhas by 36 runs in Match 18. Their bowling has kept every opponent below 150 except Kathmandu, and their batting has never collapsed the way Biratnagar's did in Match 15.

Playoff race

Points table after Match 21, played on Tuesday 10 November 2026. The top four qualify for the playoffs.

A Lumbini win takes them to 9 points if they lost on Thursday, and to 11 if they won both games — and with a net run rate of +1.501 they would be almost certain of a playoff place. Only Kathmandu Gorkhas and Sudurpaschim Royals, both on 8 points, could finish above 9 points. A defeat leaves Lumbini on 7 points if they also lost on Thursday, or 9 if they won that game — and 9 points would still be almost certain of a playoff place, while 7 would leave them waiting on Sunday's results to confirm it.

For Biratnagar, this is the last game of their league season, and the maths is simple: win and finish on 6 points if they lost on Thursday, or 8 if they won both games — and 8 points would put them right in the mix for fourth place. A defeat leaves them on 4 points if they also lost on Thursday, or 6 if they won that game, and 6 points would need several other results to go their way on Sunday. Their net run rate of −0.820 means that even a win leaves them behind any side that finishes level on points with a better rate.

The top four qualify for the playoffs: Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 17 November, the Eliminator on Wednesday 18 November, Qualifier 2 on Thursday 19 November and the final on Saturday 21 November, all at 4:30 PM NST at Kirtipur. Kathmandu Gorkhas lead the table on 8 points, Sudurpaschim Royals are second on 8, and Chitwan Rhinos hold fourth on 5.

Players to watch

Season 3 numbers only, from matches 1 to 21. Every name below links to that player's profile.

Lokesh Bam has 194 runs in five matches — more than any other batter in the league — with two fifties, a highest score of 87 and 16 sixes. He is the one player in this match who can win it on his own, and Lumbini's bowlers will have a plan for him from the first over. If he bats deep, Biratnagar's total follows him.

Biratnagar's second threat is Andre Russell, with 144 runs in five matches and 14 sixes, plus 6 wickets. He scores faster than any other batter among the league's leading run-scorers, and he is the bowler Biratnagar turn to at the death. Lumbini need plans for both men, not just one.

For Lumbini, Sher Malla has 8 wickets in four matches, the most by any bowler in the side, and Rohit Paudel leads the batting with 86 runs in four matches. Neither tops the league charts, but Lumbini's strength is that the wickets and runs are shared: five bowlers have taken wickets, and the batting has no single point of failure for Biratnagar to attack.

Head to head

Biratnagar Kings and Lumbini Lions have not met before in Season 3, so this is their first meeting of the season. Their seasons have run in parallel without ever crossing: Biratnagar's wins came against Karnali, the Royals and Janakpur; Lumbini's against the Royals, Pokhara and Janakpur.

The shared opponents say the gap is real but not wide. Both sides beat the Royals and Janakpur; both lost to Kathmandu Gorkhas — Biratnagar by 9 wickets after being bowled out for 83, Lumbini by 36 runs after making 124. Lumbini have been the steadier side; Biratnagar have the bigger individual performances. Saturday is the first direct test of which matters more.

Match information

Start time 4:30 PM NST (10:45 AM UTC, 3:45 PM PKT). Match yet to begin — the scorecard will appear on this page after the match.

Previous and next matches

← Match 25

Match 27 →