NPL 2026 Opening Day | October 26
Season 3 opens with Match 1: Lumbini Lions vs Sudurpaschim Royals — Monday, 26 October 2026, 5:00 PM NST at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
Season window: October 26–November 21, 2026 · Updated 19 October 2026
Opening match card
Lumbini Lions (defending champions)
Sudurpaschim RoyalsOpening-day status — latest
Nepal Premier League Season 3 runs 26 October–21 November 2026, all 32 matches at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. The ICC has officially sanctioned Season 3, and squads may now field up to 8 overseas players each, with DRS planned for the tournament.
Headline build-up signings: David Warner (Kathmandu Gorkhas), Shakib Al Hasan (Pokhara Avengers), Moeen Ali (Janakpur Bolts), Sikandar Raza (Chitwan Rhinos), Andre Russell (Biratnagar Kings) and Niroshan Dickwella retained by defending champions Lumbini Lions. Read the latest NPL news →
Opening fixture — confirmed
Match 1: Lumbini Lions vs Sudurpaschim Royals, Monday 26 October 2026, 5:00 PM NST, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. It is the only fixture on opening day — the first double-header follows on Tuesday 27 October (Biratnagar Kings vs Chitwan Rhinos at 12:30 PM NST, then Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts at 5:00 PM NST).
Double-headers run 12:30 PM + 5:00 PM NST; single-match days start 5:00 PM NST. Rest days: 30 Oct, 4 Nov, 8 Nov, 11 Nov. Qualifier 1: 17 Nov · Eliminator: 18 Nov · Qualifier 2: 19 Nov · Final: 21 Nov. Every fixture is on the Season 3 schedule and match centre.
Watching and tickets
- Worldwide OTT rights: NetTV.
- Linear television in Nepal: Himalaya Television Network.
- Ticketing rights: eSewa.
The rights awards do not establish consumer pass prices, free access, ticket sale dates or a final channel schedule. Check the rights holder’s event listing before paying.
The opening fixture
Season 3 opens with Match 1: Lumbini Lions vs Sudurpaschim Royals on Monday, 26 October 2026 at 5:00 PM NST at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. It is the only fixture on opening day — the tournament's first double-header follows on Tuesday, 27 October (Biratnagar Kings vs Chitwan Rhinos at 12:30 PM NST, then Karnali Yaks vs Janakpur Bolts at 5:00 PM NST).
The opener is an evening fixture under lights, which traditionally draws the season's biggest first-day crowd and sets the early tone for the points table: two points, the first net run rate entries, and the first form lines for the weeks ahead.
What opening day means for fans
For supporters, opening day is when months of squad-building become real cricket: the retentions announced in June, the 6 July mega auction, and the overseas signings — including David Warner's unveiling by the Kathmandu Gorkhas and Shakib Al Hasan's arrival at Pokhara Avengers — finally take the field. The first playing XIs, named at the toss, answer the selection questions the previews can only guess at.
Practically: confirm your viewing setup before 26 October. The confirmed rights holders are NetTV (worldwide OTT) and the Himalaya Television Network (television in Nepal); eSewa holds the ticketing rights for the Kirtipur stadium. The how-to-watch guide and ticket information carry the details, and the live scores page covers the match ball by ball.
After the opener
The season moves fast from there: 28 league matches across three weeks, rest days on 30 October, 4 November, 8 November and 11 November, then the playoffs (Qualifier 1 on 17 November, Eliminator on 18 November, Qualifier 2 on 19 November) and the Grand Finale on Saturday, 21 November — all at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
Every fixture, start time and venue is on the Season 3 schedule. Dated build-up coverage — the fixture announcement, signing news and auction reports — lives in the news archive.
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