Lumbini vs Chitwan Match 7 Likely Called Off Due to Rain

Lumbini vs Chitwan Match 7 has passed its scheduled start at Kirtipur with rain still falling, and the forecast and a tight cut-off now point to a washout as the most likely outcome, though officials have announced nothing yet.

Start Time Passes With Rain Still Falling at Kirtipur

The scheduled start for Lumbini Lions against Chitwan Rhinos has come and gone at the Tribhuvan University ground in Kirtipur, and the match has not started. Rain was still falling over Kirtipur at the start time, with light rain and a temperature of 17 degrees recorded for the venue, and showers forecast through the early afternoon. No toss has been published on the match page, no live score has begun, and the site live-scores feed still shows Match 6 as the latest completed game.

That silence matters. A T20 toss is normally held about 30 minutes before the first ball, and nothing of that kind has appeared for Match 7. The two teams arrived at this fixture unbeaten, with Lumbini defending champions after their seven-wicket win over Sudurpaschim Royals and Chitwan fresh from their eight-run win over Biratnagar Kings, so the delay is not a quiet fixture. It is the first game of a double-header, and the second game, Sudurpaschim Royals against Biratnagar Kings, is scheduled for 5 PM at the same ground.

Why a Washout Now Looks Most Likely

The case for a washout rests on three facts that now sit together. First, rain has fallen in Kathmandu for more than 24 hours, since late Thursday night, and it continued through Friday and into Saturday morning. Second, meteorologists expect it to continue into the early afternoon, with rain forecast until around 2 PM and meteorologist Binod Pokhrel putting rain over Kathmandu between 1 PM and 2 PM. Third, a soaked outfield does not become playable the moment the rain stops: preparing the ground could take another two to three hours, and standing water makes run-ups and fielding unsafe.

Time then does the rest of the damage. With the second match scheduled for 5 PM, the cut-off for completing even a minimum five-over-per-side game in Match 7 is expected to be around 3:40 to 3:55 PM. If rainfall continues until around 1 PM or later, the chances of the Lumbini-Chitwan match going ahead become extremely slim, because the ground crew would need the outfield dry and safe inside a window that is already closing. Meteorologist Ujjwal Upadhyaya warned before the weekend that the outlook was poor: “Thursday's NPL match was lucky. On Saturday, however, drizzle is expected to continue until the evening. The chances of tomorrow's matches taking place are low,” Upadhyaya said. That warning, made before Saturday, now reads as the most accurate summary of the day.

Facebook Fans Already Expecting Shared Points

On social media, the verdict has already hardened. Match posts from DishHome and Red Bull Nepal for Saturday's fixtures drew large numbers of comments from fans, and a running theme in those comments is that the first match will not be played. One fan wrote, “First match won't be played due to rain,” and another put the expected outcome plainly: “Match washed out due to rain. Each team will share 1-1 point.” Those comments are fan opinion, not an official announcement, and the article does not treat them as one. But they show how widely the washout expectation has spread, especially on Facebook, where the rain conversation has run ahead of any league statement.

The gap between fan expectation and official silence is worth stating clearly. The league has announced no postponement, no rescheduling and no venue change for either Saturday match, and the schedule still lists both fixtures as planned. Only the ground inspection and the match officials can call a game off. Until they do, the correct position is that a washout looks most likely, not that it has happened.

What an Abandoned Match 7 Would Mean

If Match 7 is abandoned, the consequences are fixed by the playing conditions. The NPL has no reserve days, so the fixture cannot slide to Sunday, and both teams receive one point each for an abandoned or no-result match. Lumbini and Chitwan each carry two points from one win, so a shared point would take both to three points and leave the early points table largely unchanged at the top.

For supporters, the practical question is the evening game. The forecast improves markedly in the afternoon, with sunny conditions expected from late afternoon, which gives Match 8 a stronger chance than Match 7. Even so, that game depends on the state of the same outfield, and a day of rain plus a possible abandoned afternoon fixture leaves the ground crew with little margin. Fans can follow any change on the live scores page, and ticket holders should check official updates before travelling, since reports indicate spectators receive refunds if a match is called off before the toss. For now, the honest summary is short: rain still falling, no toss, no decision, and a washout the most likely end to Match 7.