Dev Khanal could not reach the three digits. But he did silence his critics with a captain’s knock in Lumbini’s 148-run victory over Koshi Province in the Men’s PM Cup at the Ramjanaki Multipurpose Stadium in Janakpur on Monday.

Khanal was the captain when Nepal entered the Super 6 stage in the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup in South Africa in January 2024. By then, Khanal had already debuted for the senior men’s team in ODIs—against Papua New Guinea on March 25, 2022.

Khanal, 20, has represented Nepal in 14 ODIs. He has 329 runs in 12 innings, which consists of three half-centuries, in the one-day format for the Rhinos. He has only played three T20Is for Nepal, scoring 31 runs in total.

Khanal, however, has been inconsistent in the national team as he has not been able to match other players in domestic tournaments.

In the previous Men’s PM Cup in 2025, Khanal had 264 runs in nine games for Lumbini, including one fifty. In the second season of the Nepal Premier League last year, Khanal scored 127 runs in six innings (seven games).

Khanal showed signs of a comeback on Monday as his team registered a dominating victory over Koshi.

Koshi won the toss and invited Lumbini to bat first. In response, Khanal and his opening partner Ranjeet Khadka built an 86-run partnership for the first wicket.

Khadka departed in 13.2 overs after adding 35 off 36. Khanal, meanwhile, was the sixth wicket to fall in 35.2 overs.

Khanal departed in the 100th delivery he faced. He was at 92, with eight fours and a six, when he got struck leg before by Sujan Thapaliya.

Thapaliya was the most effective bowler for Koshi. He bagged four wickets in his 10 overs, giving away only 35 runs.

Alongside Khanal’s 92 off 100, Lumbini benefited highly from Santosh Yadav’s batting. Yadav fell short of two runs for his fifty, but helped Lumbini post the target of 250 runs before getting bundled out in 49.3 overs.

In turn, Koshi had a poor start with the bat, losing both the openers—Suman Shrestha (0 off 3) and Shakib Haq (7 off 24)—in the first powerplay. Ankit Subedi (30 off 46) showed some fight, but as other batters failed to perform, Koshi were all out at 101 runs in 31.4 overs.

Yadav bagged four wickets for Lumbini in his seven overs, while Rajendra Bam picked three and Nirmal Gurung took two. Sandesh Thapa also claimed one.

With the win, Lumbini climbed to the top of the points table with three points from two games. Their first game of the tournament, against Karnali on March 21, was called off due to rain.

On the other hand, Sudurpaschim registered a win in their first match of the tournament. In the other match on Monday, Sudurpaschim defeated Karnali by four wickets at TB Shah Cricket Ground in Birgunj.

A six-wicket haul by pacer Hemant Dhami saw Sudurpaschim bundle Karnali at 119 runs in 32 overs. Bipin Rawal (33 off 61) and Sunil Dhamala (28 off 31) top-scored for Karnali.

Sudurpaschim lost three of their batters in the powerplay. But as the target was not big, decent scores from the middle and lower order saw Sudurpaschim post 122/6 in 29.2 overs.

Gandaki Province will also play their first match of the tournament on Tuesday when they face Bagmati at Lower Mulpani. Armed Police Force will play Nepal Police Club in the other match at Upper Mulpani.