Season 3 in numbers
Two innings, 53 runs, five fours, no sixes — and a strike rate of 108.16 that says more about patience than power. Jora has batted twice in five games, which is the whole story of his season: the talent is not in question, the opportunity has been.
| Batting | M | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | HS | SR | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPL Season 3 | 2 | 53 | 49 | 5 | 0 | 44 | 108.16 | 26.50 |
The average of 26.50 is the fifth-best among Lumbini batters this season, and his 53 runs put him fifth on the team’s run chart despite playing only two of the five games.
Season 3 figures cover every completed match through Match 21 (the abandoned Match 7 produced no play), compiled from the published match scorecards and updated 10 November 2026.
Match by match
Both Sundeep Jora innings in NPL Season 3 so far. The full scores are on the NPL Results page.
| Match | Opponent | Batting |
|---|---|---|
| 14 — 5 Nov | Janakpur Bolts | 9 (4 balls) |
| 18 — 7 Nov | Kathmandu Gorkhas | 44 (45 balls) |
The 44 against Kathmandu was the highest score by a Lumbini batter that night — the next best was 16 — in a chase of 161 that ended at 124 all out. Jora batted 45 balls for it, three fours and no sixes, holding one end while the rest of the order went around him: the captain made a two-ball duck, Aasif Sheikh made one, Dilip Nath made nought. It was the innings that showed what he is for. Four days earlier, against Janakpur, he had shown the other side of it: nine off four balls, two fours, in a total of 149 for 8 that the Lions defended by 16 runs.
International pedigree
Jora was retained in June 2026, and his record explains why a side defending a title keeps a batter who has played only twice: he holds the distinction of being the youngest player to score a T20I half-century, and has since played more than 40 T20 internationals with over 500 runs.
His latest statement came at the 2026 Asian Games, where he finished as the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 91 runs in two innings, including an unbeaten 57 off 32 balls against Japan. His NPL tallies — 108 runs in 2024, 115 in 2025 — are modest, and that is the gap in his record: the international promise has not yet turned into franchise returns. Season 3, with two games left, is the latest chance to close it.
The middle-order race
Jora is competing for the number five or six slot in the middle order, and the race is the reason he has played only twice. The Lions’ top order has been built around Rohit Paudel, Aasif Sheikh, Niroshan Dickwella and D’Arcy Short, and the middle order has had room for only one of the retained batters at a time.
What the 44 against Kathmandu did was put him first in the queue. No other Lumbini batter has held an innings together this season the way he did that night, and with Karnali and Biratnagar to come — two sides the Lions are expected to beat — the captain has every reason to give him the longer run he has been waiting for. The playoffs, if Lumbini get there, will need exactly that kind of innings.
What’s next
Two league games left in the Nepal Premier League, then the playoffs. Lumbini are third after Match 21 — seven points from five games, with the best net run rate in the league at +1.501. The full table is on the NPL Points Table, and the full list of fixtures is on the NPL Schedule.
- Match 23 — Karnali Yaks vs Lumbini Lions: Thursday 12 November 2026, 4:30 PM NST (3:45 PM PKT, 10:45 AM UTC), TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
- Match 26 — Biratnagar Kings vs Lumbini Lions: Saturday 14 November 2026, 4:30 PM NST (3:45 PM PKT, 10:45 AM UTC), TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
- 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 — every playoff starts at 4:30 PM NST.
Follow every NPL result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.
Frequently asked questions
How many runs has Sundeep Jora scored in NPL 2026?
53 runs in two innings, at an average of 26.50 and a strike rate of 108.16, with a highest score of 44 against Kathmandu Gorkhas. Figures cover matches 1–21.
What is Sundeep Jora known for?
He is the youngest player to score a T20I half-century, has played more than 40 T20 internationals, and finished as the third-highest run-scorer at the 2026 Asian Games with 91 runs in two innings.
When is Lumbini Lions’ next match?
Match 23 against Karnali Yaks on Thursday 12 November 2026, starting at 4:30 PM NST at the TU Ground in Kirtipur. Their last league game is against Biratnagar Kings on Saturday 14 November.