Under pressure to win to reach playoffs, Lumbini bowl after losing the toss

Kathmandu — In the Nepal Premier League (NPL), only one match will be played on Friday.

In the match that will start shortly, Lumbini Lions — under pressure to win to reach the playoffs — will bowl first after losing the toss against Janakpur Bolts.

The defending champions, Janakpur Bolts, still have a mathematical possibility of making the playoffs. If they score a big win today and in their last match, their playoff hopes will remain alive. For Lumbini Lions, however, today’s match is extremely important.

Lumbini has gathered 6 points from 6 matches. A win today would take them to 8 points and make them the fourth team to secure a playoff spot. If they lose, then teams like Pokhara Avengers and Chitwan Rhinos — who still have matches remaining — will stay in contention.

In such a scenario, if some teams end up level on points, the final playoff spots may be decided on net‑run‑rate.