Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos Match Preview – NPL 2026 Match 7

Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos match preview for NPL 2026 Match 7: the lunchtime fixture of the Saturday double-header, Rohit Paudel’s Lumbini against Kushal Malla’s Chitwan at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Saturday 31 October at 12:30 PM NST, with both sides playing their second match of the season.

Match Details

Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos Match Preview: Lunchtime Fixture, Double-Header Opener

Both sides arrive at this fixture as winners. Lumbini opened their campaign on Monday against Sudurpaschim and won by seven wickets, while Chitwan opened theirs on Tuesday against Biratnagar and won by eight runs. Saturday’s first match starts at 12:30 PM, so most of it is played in daylight, and the evening dew question that shapes night games does not apply here.

Two points go to the winner, and with only the top four of eight reaching the playoffs from seven league games each, an early second win carries real weight. Lumbini own both previous meetings between these sides, but both came before Season 3’s rebuilt squads, so the head-to-head sets the scene rather than settling the match.

Lumbini Lions Preview: Paudel's Side, Second Game In

Captain Rohit Paudel leads Lumbini under coach Tinu Yohannan. The match-page squad panel lists 15 players, with three overseas names in the pre-match graphic XI: wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella, batter D'Arcy Short and bowler Ruben Trumpelmann.

Lumbini’s opener against Sudurpaschim was a rout. Sudurpaschim were bowled out for 87 in 17.2 overs, and Lumbini chased 88 for the loss of three wickets in 9.5 overs, with 61 balls left. Short top-scored with 40 off 18 balls, Kishore Mahato took 4 for 28, and Sher Malla’s 3 for 11 earned player of the match. That is the form line Chitwan must deal with: a bowling attack that ended the game early and a top order that did not hang around.

Chitwan Rhinos Preview: Malla's Side, Second Game In

Captain Kushal Malla leads Chitwan under coach Sohail Tanvir. The match-page squad panel lists 17 players, and the pre-match graphic XI is built around Malla, Dawid Malan and Kamal Singh Airee.

Chitwan’s opener against Biratnagar was the opposite of a rout. Chitwan posted 157 for three, led by Malan’s 70, and then held Biratnagar to 149 all out in 19.3 overs to win by eight runs. Airee finished with 4 for 26 and was player of the match, and Rijan Dhakal took two wickets. Chitwan know how to close a tight game; on Saturday they face a side that did not need to close one at all.

Key Battles: Three Duels

Short against Airee comes first: Short’s 40 off 18 balls set up Lumbini’s chase in the opener, and Airee’s 4 for 26 closed Chitwan’s win. If Airee removes Short early, Lumbini’s chase loses its quickest gear. Second, Paudel against Malla, the two captains in the middle overs, where both sides look to their leader to hold an innings together.

Third, Mahato against Malan: Mahato’s 4 for 28 with the new ball against Malan’s 70-run form from the Biratnagar game. Malan is the batter most likely to take a game away from Lumbini, and Mahato is the bowler most likely to stop him before he starts.

Players to Watch: NPL 2026 Match 7

Lumbini: Rohit Paudel (captain, middle order), D’Arcy Short (40 off 18 balls in the opener) and Kishore Mahato (4 for 28 with the new ball).

Chitwan: Dawid Malan (70 in the opener), Kamal Singh Airee (4 for 26, player of the match) and Kushal Malla (captain, middle order).

Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos Head-to-Head: Lumbini Lead 2-0

Lumbini have won both previous NPL meetings between these sides. In Season 1, Lumbini beat Chitwan by 33 runs, a win that stood as Lumbini’s only victory of that season. In Season 2, on 20 November 2025, Lumbini chased 143 to win by six wickets: Chitwan posted 142 for 7, Ravi Bopara top-scoring with 66 off 55 balls, and Lumbini replied with 146 for 4 in 18.3 overs, Rohit Paudel making 39 and Gulbadin Naib finishing unbeaten on 44.

Both wins came before Season 3, and both squads have changed since. The record favours Lumbini, but it does not decide a lunchtime game between two sides with one win each this season.

Venue and Conditions: TU Ground, Kirtipur

All 32 Season 3 matches are at the TU Ground in Kirtipur. The record book: Biratnagar’s 220 for 6 against Pokhara (18 November 2025) is the highest total, Janakpur’s 51 all out the lowest, Mark Watt’s 114 not out the highest individual score.

The 12:30 PM start makes this a day game: most of it is played in daylight, so evening dew is not a factor the way it is in night games. No verified forecast for Kirtipur on Saturday 31 October was available when this article was written.

Tactical Outlook: Day Game, Bat First?

In daylight, the toss loses some of its teeth. No dew arrives to help the side batting second, so the team batting first can set a total and defend it with a dry ball. Expect the captain winning the toss to lean towards batting first, though Chitwan defending a total is the counter-argument: Airee with the ball in hand and a score on the board is how they beat Biratnagar.

The powerplay is the first battleground; the second is overs seven to fifteen, where Paudel and Malla try to control the middle against spin and change of pace.

Expected Playing XI

Probable XIs, confirmed at the toss. See our predicted playing XIs.

Neither graphic XI breaches the four-overseas-per-XI limit, so neither side is forced into an awkward overseas call at the toss.

Where to Watch Live

In Nepal: Himalaya Sports TV. Elsewhere: NetTV (worldwide OTT rights; Nepal pass Rs 400, Middle East Rs 600, USA/Europe/Australia/Japan/Korea US$10). In India: FanCode Tour Pass (₹89), plus Star Sports Select 2/2 HD on TV in India and South Asia. Details in our live streaming; ball-by-ball scores free on the live scores.

Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos – Who will win?

7th Match · 31 Oct | Sat · 12:30 PM NPT. Back your team — one vote per device, and you can switch any time.

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