Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts Match Prediction – NPL Season 3 Match 14

Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts match prediction for NPL Season 3 Match 14: the Thursday day game at the TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Thursday 5 November at 12:30 PM NST, with our winner pick, pitch report, head-to-head and toss call.

Match Details

Team Form

Lumbini have two Season 3 games behind them, and they have not lost a completed one. In Match 1 against Sudurpaschim, Lumbini chased 87 and won by 7 wickets in 9.5 overs, with D'Arcy Short scoring 40 off 18. In Match 7 against Chitwan, no ball was bowled and the points were shared. One win, one washout, three points, and fourth place after Match 11.

Janakpur have three Season 3 games behind them, and two were wins. Against Karnali in Match 3, Janakpur were bowled out for 113 chasing 132 and lost by 19 runs. Against Kathmandu in Match 5, Janakpur chased 115 and won by 8 wickets with 16 balls left, with Moeen Ali unbeaten on 58 off 51. Against Pokhara in Match 9, Janakpur defended 147 for 7 and won by 9 runs, with Trit Raj Das scoring 61 off 55. Two wins, one defeat, four points, and second place after Match 11.

Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts Head-to-Head Record

No verified head-to-head record is available for this fixture, so none is claimed here. It is also their first meeting in Season 3: Lumbini have played Matches 1 and 7, Janakpur have played Matches 3, 5 and 9, and the two sides have not met yet this season. With no past meeting to lean on, this prediction rests on what is known: Janakpur's two wins and Lumbini's unbeaten run in completed games.

Venue and Pitch Report

The TU Ground in Kirtipur hosts all 32 Season 3 matches. The season's totals here already tell a story of two kinds of game: the opener finished with 87 and 88 for 3, Match 3 finished with 132 for 9 and 113 all out, Match 5 finished with 115 all out and 116 for 2, and Match 9 finished with 147 for 7 and 138 for 9. A Thursday day game should play differently again, in daylight throughout.

The pre-match graphic expects a slower track offering good assistance for spinners and medium-pacers, with a clear sky. The record book still stands: the highest total here is 220 for 6 (18 November 2025), the lowest Janakpur's 51 all out, and the highest individual score Mark Watt's 114 not out.

Weather

The pre-match graphic expects a clear sky over Kirtipur on Thursday. No separate verified forecast was available when this article was written. The 12:30 PM start means the game is played in daylight throughout, so daytime conditions shape both innings.

Probable Playing XI

Lumbini: R. Paudel (C), A. Sheikh (WK), S. Jora, N. Dickwella, R. Trumpelmann, S. Malla, D. Nath, D. Adhikari, A. Gautam, T. Bhandari, D. Short.

Janakpur: H. Singh (C), A. Sah (WK), L. Rajbanshi, B. Aagri, M. Yadav, A. Mahata, A. Sheikh, K. Mahato, I. Tahir, W. Parnell, J. Neesham.

Both XIs are probable, from the pre-match graphic, and both are confirmed at the toss. Full detail sits in our predicted playing XIs.

Key Players to Watch

For Lumbini: Rohit Paudel, the captain, and D'Arcy Short, who scored 40 off 18 in the Match 1 win, plus Sundeep Jora, named in the graphic's key battle against Rajbanshi. For Janakpur: Harmeet Singh, the captain, and Lalit Rajbanshi, the bowler in that same key battle, plus James Neesham, the overseas all-rounder. Note that Janakpur's graphic XI differs in six places from the Match 9 XI — one more reason the toss matters.

Fantasy Picks

Fantasy picks, not betting advice. Captain: Rohit Paudel, who leads the defending champions and anchors their batting. Vice-captain: Lalit Rajbanshi, the bowler named in the graphic's key battle.

Top picks: Paudel and Rajbanshi. Harmeet Singh and D'Arcy Short back them up, with James Neesham behind them; Sundeep Jora is the Lumbini differential, named in the graphic's key battle. Avoid loading up on one side's middle order: with Lumbini's only completed game finishing inside ten overs and Janakpur's wins built on control, spread picks across both sides.

Toss Prediction

Expect the toss, about 12:00 PM NST, to matter less than in the day-night games. This is a day game starting at 12:30 PM NST and played in daylight throughout, so the late-dew chase factor does not apply. The captain winning the toss makes the call on a fresh daytime pitch, and no strong day-game toss bias is claimed here.

Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts Match Prediction: Who Will Win?

Our pick: Lumbini Lions, narrowly, with low confidence. Lumbini's case is the unbeaten run in completed games: a 7-wicket win in Match 1, no defeat since, and the defending champions' tag. Janakpur's case is the table: second place, two wins from three, and a side that has already won chasing and defending.

Janakpur's counter-case is real: the graphic XI brings in Tahir and Parnell, fresh overseas strength on paper, and a day game can turn on one partnership. But with Janakpur's graphic XI differing in six places from the Match 9 XI, which Janakpur turns up is genuinely unknown, and with no verified head-to-head, the gap between these sides is small, and confidence stays low. The graphic's own win probability has it close too: Lumbini 51%, Janakpur 49%. Lumbini by a narrow margin.

Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts – Who will win?

14th Match · 5 Nov | Thu · 12:30 PM NPT. Back your team — one vote per device, and you can switch any time.

Lumbini Lions0%Janakpur Bolts0%

Tap a team to cast your vote.

Results are shared live with every fan. One vote per device.

Conclusion

Lumbini's unbeaten run in completed games makes them narrow favourites over a Janakpur side sitting second with two wins. With no head-to-head and a day game ahead, this stays a low-confidence call.

Pre-match reading: our match preview and live streaming guide; full coverage sits on the match page.

More NPL News

• TeamsKathmandu Gorkhas Bank on Warner for NPL Title Bid
• TeamsJanakpur Bolts Rebuild After Last-Place NPL Finish
• TeamsHarmeet Singh Named Janakpur Bolts Captain for NPL Season 3
• TeamsMoeen Ali Joins Janakpur Bolts for NPL Season 3