Defending champions Lumbini Lions launched their Nepal Premier League title defence with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Sudurpaschim Royals on Monday, chasing down a target of 88 in just 9.5 overs in the opening match of the tournament’s third season.

After Kishore Mahato and Sher Malla shared seven wickets to bowl Sudurpaschim out for 87, Australian batter D’Arcy Short and Aasif Sheikh led Lumbini’s charge with aggressive batting at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.

Short made 40 off just 18 balls, striking four fours and three sixes. He announced his intentions from the first delivery, hitting Scott Kuggeleijn for a six over deep square leg.

Aasif, who previously played for Janakpur Bolts in the first two seasons, scored 32 off 25 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes. He took Kuggeleijn for two sixes and a four in one over, helping Lumbini pass 50 in five overs. They raced to 70 in the six-over powerplay.

Their partnership ended in the seventh over when left-arm spinner Anil Kharel, brought on for his first over, had Short caught by Sherfane Rutherford. Kharel also dismissed Aasif.

Captain Dipendra Singh Airee bowled Niroshan Dickwella for seven. Bangladesh batter Shamim Hossain, on one, and Lumbini captain Rohit Paudel, on five, remained unbeaten. Paudel struck the winning boundary off Airee.

Earlier, Mahato and Malla dismantled Sudurpaschim’s batting line-up, restricting last season’s runners-up to 87 in 17.2 overs. Mahato, a right-arm fast bowler, took four wickets for 28 runs in four overs, while off-spinner Malla claimed three for 11 in four overs.

Sudurpaschim lost four wickets in the powerplay and failed to recover. Malla trapped Binod Bhandari lbw in the fourth over, before Mahato struck twice in the same over, dismissing Aarif Sheikh for a duck and Brandon McMullen for two.

Saif Zaib, returning to the side, made 13 off 14 balls, including two fours, before being dismissed by American bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk in the sixth over. Tilak Bhandari then removed Ishan Pandey for seven in the ninth over to give Lumbini their fifth wicket.

Malla dismissed Rutherford for one and Kuggeleijn for a duck. Mahato then bowled captain Airee and Hemant Dhami with successive deliveries, coming close to a hat-trick.

Airee top-scored for Sudurpaschim with 27 off 23 balls, including two fours. Dhami failed to score. Lumbini captain Paudel bowled Abinash Bohara, while Anil Kharel remained unbeaten on 15.

Sudurpaschim, who lost both previous NPL finals, have made a disappointing start to their third campaign. In each of the first two seasons, they lost just one match in the league stage. Lumbini beat them by six wickets in last season’s final to claim the title.