Two games, one innings that mattered — 45 against Chitwan
Arjun Kumal has scored 45 runs in NPL Season 3, all of them in a single innings against Chitwan Rhinos. He is a retained domestic batter, kept through the June 2026 retention window as part of Pokhara’s seven-player domestic core.
Batter. Retained through the June 2026 retention window. Captain: Kushal Bhurtel. Head coach: Ajantha Mendis.
Kumal’s story is the retention itself. Pokhara looked at their young players through a summer of coaching change — a new head coach in Ajantha Mendis, two overseas signings, six new domestic names through the auction — and decided Kumal was one to keep. The verified record does not specify his playing role; the evidence is the decision, made by coaches who watched him daily.
His classroom this season is exceptional: training alongside Shakib Al Hasan’s 129 T20Is of craft, Dhananjaya Lakshan and head coach Ajantha Mendis. His Season 3 is an opportunity story — learn everything, impress daily, and be ready when the tournament opens a door. The door opened in Match 17, and he walked through it with 45.
Season 3 in numbers
All figures cover matches through Match 21, played on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Pokhara Avengers have played five matches; they did not play Match 21.
| Matches | Runs | Best | Average | Strike rate | 4s | 6s | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting | 2 | 45 | 45 | 22.50 | 97.8 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Numbers from the NPL season file, updated 10 November 2026, covering matches through Match 21. Strike rate is runs per 100 balls; economy is runs per over.
Match by match
Every innings and every spell, newest first. An asterisk means not out.
| Match | Runs | Balls | Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 45 | 44 | Chitwan Rhinos |
| 13 | 0 | 2 | Lumbini Lions |
What the numbers mean
The two innings could hardly be more different. Against Lumbini Lions in Match 13 he made 0 off 2 balls, in a game Pokhara lost by eight wickets after being bowled out for 97. Against Chitwan Rhinos in Match 17 he made 45 off 44 balls, with three fours and a six — the highest score in Pokhara’s 121. One innings is a duck; the other is the best knock by a Pokhara batter not named Bhurtel or Samra in the whole season.
His average of 22.50 and strike rate of 97.8 are the numbers of a young batter still finding his tempo. The 45 took 44 balls in a chase of 152 that Pokhara lost by 30 runs — not a match-winning innings, but a proper one, built rather than slogged. Two matches remain, and a batter who has just shown he can hold an innings together has a real claim on both.
Where Pokhara Avengers stand
Kumal’s 45 against Chitwan showed what he can do; the run-in asks him to do it again, twice.
The maths is brutal but simple. Pokhara sit eighth on two points from five matches, three behind Chitwan Rhinos in the last playoff place, with a net run rate of minus 0.707. Win the two remaining matches — Biratnagar Kings on Thursday 12 November and Kathmandu Gorkhas on Sunday 15 November — and they reach six points, still needing Chitwan Rhinos to lose both of theirs and net run rate to cooperate. Any other result ends the season. Full list: NPL Schedule.
Frequently asked questions
How many runs has Arjun Kumal scored in NPL 2026?
45 runs in two matches, at a strike rate of 97.8. All 45 came in one innings — 45 off 44 balls against Chitwan Rhinos in Match 17. His other game brought a duck against Lumbini Lions.
Was Arjun Kumal retained by Pokhara Avengers?
Yes. Kumal was kept through the June 2026 retention window as one of Pokhara’s seven retained domestic players, before the July auction added six new domestic names.
What was Arjun Kumal’s best innings in NPL 2026?
45 off 44 balls against Chitwan Rhinos in Match 17, with three fours and a six. It was the highest score in Pokhara’s innings of 121.
Pokhara Avengers · NPL Schedule · NPL Points Table · NPL Results · Nepal Premier League