Sher Malla Named Player of the Match in NPL 2026 Opener

Sher Malla is the first Player of the Match of NPL Season 3. The Lumbini Lions off-spinner took 3 for 11 as the defending champions bowled Sudurpaschim Royals out for 87 and chased the target in 9.5 overs in the tournament opener at Kirtipur.

Sher Malla Player of the Match: 3 for 11

Sher Malla was named Player of the Match in the opening game of NPL Season 3. The official match record lists the Lumbini Lions off-spinner as the award winner after his 3 for 11 helped bowl Sudurpaschim Royals out for 87 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Monday.

Malla bowled four overs of right-arm off-spin and conceded just 11 runs, an economy rate of 2.75. He trapped Binod Bhandari lbw in the fourth over, then removed Sherfane Rutherford for one and Scott Kuggeleijn for a duck as Sudurpaschim's middle order fell away. He also held the catch that dismissed Saif Zaib off Shadley van Schalkwyk in the sixth over.

Kishore Mahato took four wickets for 28 runs at the other end, and the pair shared seven wickets between them. Mahato struck twice in one over, removing Aarif Sheikh for a duck and Brandon McMullen for two, and later bowled captain Dipendra Singh Airee and Hemant Dhami with successive deliveries. The award went to Malla, whose spell broke the middle order after Sudurpaschim had already lost four wickets in the powerplay.

Airee top-scored for Sudurpaschim with 27 off 23 balls, and Anil Kharel finished unbeaten on 15. Sudurpaschim were bowled out for 87 in 17.2 overs, and Lumbini chased the target with 61 balls to spare.

How the Opener Was Won

Sudurpaschim lost four wickets in the powerplay and never recovered. Malla trapped Bhandari lbw in the fourth over, and Mahato struck twice in the same over. Tilak Bhandari removed Ishan Pandey for seven in the ninth over to give Lumbini their fifth wicket, and the Royals folded for 87.

The chase lasted barely half the scheduled overs. D'Arcy Short made 40 off 18 balls, striking four fours and three sixes, and announced his intentions from the first delivery by hitting Scott Kuggeleijn for six over deep square leg. Aasif Sheikh, who previously played for Janakpur Bolts in the first two seasons, scored 32 off 25 balls with two fours and two sixes. The pair took Lumbini past 50 in five overs and to 70 in the six-over powerplay.

Left-arm spinner Anil Kharel broke the partnership in the seventh over, having Short caught by Sherfane Rutherford, and also dismissed Aasif. Captain Airee bowled Niroshan Dickwella for seven. Shamim Hossain, on one, and Lumbini captain Rohit Paudel, on five, remained unbeaten, and Paudel struck the winning boundary off Airee. Lumbini won by seven wickets with 61 balls remaining.

From Emerging Player to Match-Winner

Malla is a Nepal right-arm offbreak bowler who plays for Lumbini Lions in NPL Season 3. Retained in June 2026, he finished the 2025 title season as the league's joint-highest wicket-taker, with 17 wickets in ten games at an average of 13.76, and was named its Emerging Player.

His playoff ledger in 2025 was decisive: 3 for 22 in the Eliminator, 3 for 31 in Qualifier 2, and 3 for 18 in the final. He leads the spin attack into Lumbini's title defence, and his opening-day spell against Sudurpaschim was a continuation of that form: control through the middle overs and wickets at key moments.

Lumbini retained their champion core for Season 3, and Malla's award is the first individual honour of the new season. The defending champions have now beaten the side they defeated in last season's final, and they did it with overs to spare.

What the Result Means

The win gives Lumbini two points and a net run rate of +4.599 after one match. Sudurpaschim have zero points and a net run rate of -4.599, and they have made a disappointing start to their third campaign after losing just one league match in each of the first two seasons.

Sudurpaschim face Pokhara Avengers on 28 October, while Lumbini's next match is against Chitwan Rhinos on Saturday 31 October at 12:30 PM NST. Both matches are at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, where all 32 matches of the season are played.

The defending champions will look to Malla again when Chitwan visit on Saturday. The full scorecard and ball-by-ball coverage sit on the Lumbini vs Sudurpaschim match centre, and the early standings are on the points table. The match report is covered in Lumbini Lions Beat Sudurpaschim by 7 Wickets in NPL Opener.