The relentless rains that began during the nail-biting final over between Karnali Yaks and Biratnagar Kings on Thursday showed little mercy through Saturday afternoon. While Friday’s rest day offered a temporary reprieve, the complete washout of Saturday’s opening fixture between defending champions Lumbini Lions and Chitwan Rhinos—abandoned without even a toss—threatened a total gridlock for the Nepal Premier League at the TU International Cricket Stadium.

Then, around 3:30 pm, the gray skies over Kirtipur finally cleared. What followed was a dramatic, high-stakes battle against the clock.

Although the waterlogged ground ruled out any chance of a full 20-over contest, groundstaff launched a massive effort to make the surface playable. They deployed two Super Soppers, heavy manual rollers, and teams of workers hauling water out in buckets.

Even so, the edges of the outfield remained so wet that match officials were forced to draw the boundary ropes significantly closer than usual to ensure player safety. By 7:08pm, their efforts paid off: officials announced a truncated five-over-a-side clash between Biratnagar Kings and Sudurpaschim Royals, setting the toss for 7:25pm and first ball for 7:41pm.

Yet, as 8pm passed without a toss, patience inside the venue wore thin.

Thousands of spectators—who had navigated slick, muddy pathways and spent hours standing in caked-on dirt just to catch a glimpse of cricket—grew restless. Chants of “We want toss!” erupted from the grandstands as frustrated fans banged plastic chairs, demanding answers. From the stands, the outfield looked dry enough, but behind the scenes, intense administrative friction was stalling play.

Captains and head coaches engaged in multiple exchanges with the match referee over playing conditions and official team lineups, leaving the crowd in an agonising limbo.

By 8:15pm, Sudurpaschim players retreated to the dressing room while Biratnagar continued their warm-ups. Fifteen minutes later, pitch covers were brought back out, prompting many exhausted fans toward the exits.

The breakthrough came in a flurry of late-night diplomacy. At 8:44pm, NPL governance figures and team officials—including Paras Khadka, Jagat Tamata and Misbah-ul-Haq—assembled on the field for another huddle. Four minutes later, Sudurpaschim skipper Dipendra Singh Airee walked out to consult directly with Khadka and match officials. At 8:52pm, Khadka gave a clear sign: the match was on.

When the 9pm toss was announced, the remaining crowd roared in approval. As the stadium clock hit 9pm, the stands counted down in unison.

The drama lingered until the very last second. At 9:03pm, the match referee initially gestured a hold-up during a final review of the team sheets, but Airee stepped forward, insisting on getting the game underway. By 9:05pm, both captains were at the centre, ready for the toss.

Airee flipped the coin into the sky at exactly 9:05.45pm. Sandeep Lamichhane called heads, the coin landed tails, and Sudurpaschim elected to bowl—finally bringing an end to the off-field chaos and sparking a frantic five-over dash under the Kirtipur lights.

Nonetheless, despite the countdown for the first ball, it took around two more minutes for the delivery, as the match officials showed reservation over Sudurpaschim fielders. After that, Tek Rawat, a substitute, left the field and Sherfane Rutherford came in. Finally, the first bowl was bowled and the much-anticipated action began with only five of the six floodlights lit. The one at the centre of the Chobhar end faced some technical problems due to the rain.

“We have tried our best,” CAN Secretary Khadka said regarding the persistent wet conditions before the match between Lumbini Lions and Chitwan Rhinos was called off. “This isn’t typically the rainy season in Kirtipur. There is drainage surrounding this ground, but it simply overflowed.”

Khadka noted that TU ground had hosted cricket matches through monsoon rains before. “But this time,” he said, “the rain just didn’t stop.”