The race for the top four is getting interesting in the third season of the Nepal Premier League. With playoff spots up for grabs and minimal margin for error, the Post looks at where every team stands in the battle for qualification.

Lumbini Lions

The Lions, the defending champions, suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday, losing by 30 runs against Kathmandu Gorkhas. But the Lions are still at the top of the points table—with three wins and a cancelled match—with seven points.

Lumbini have only two more matches remaining and the Lions want to win them both. “We are still at the top four and we can still finish as the top two by winning the remaining games,” Rohit Kumar Paudel, Lumbini’s skipper told the journalists after the loss to Kathmandu.

The Lions will face Karnali Yaks and Biratnagar Kings on November 12 and 14, respectively. Two more wins means Lumbini could finish the league stage with 11 points, which will, however, not guarantee the first-place finish.

Kathmandu Gorkhas

The Gorkhas are the ones who could challenge the Lions for the top-place finish even if the latter won their last two matches. The reason: Kathmandu are second with six points from three wins in four games, and can finish with 12 points with wins in three remaining games.

Kathmandu, which started with a loss against Janakpur Bolts in their first match of the season, have won the next three—against Karnali Yaks, Biratnagar Kings and Lumbini. Now, they will face Chitwan Rhinos, Sudurpaschim Royals and Pokhara Avengers on November 9, 13 and 15, respectively.

And the wins look relatively possible for Kathmandu with David Warner opening the batting attack and performing consistently.

Sudurpaschim Royals 

The Royals are currently third in the table as they have had the worst league stage in three seasons. Sudurpaschim had only lost one match each in the league stage in the first two seasons. This time, they have already lost twice.

From suffering a dominating defeat in the season opener against Lumbini, Sudurpaschim also lost to Biratnagar in the match that was delayed by hours and reduced to five overs each. 

However, the Royals have managed six points from three wins in five games. They could progress to the playoffs if they win their remaining two games—against Janakpur on November 10 and Kathmandu. 

Chitwan Rhinos

Chitwan are fourth on the table. And they do not want to fall down from that position, for which they will have to win their last three fixtures.

The Rhinos have five points from two wins and a cancelled match in four games. And if Chitwan register wins in the next three games—against Kathmandu, Janakpur and Karnali—they could even finish as the top team with 11 points, besting Lumbini in net run rate. But that won’t be easy.

However, with experienced players in Ravi Bopara and Sikandar Raza taking the helm, they still have the chance.

Janakpur Bolts

The Bolts had a worst possible downfall in the second season, as the inaugural season champion went on to finish at the rock bottom. But the third season has been different.

The Bolts have managed two wins from five games so far. And if they want to enter the playoffs this time, they will have to defeat Sudurpaschim and Chitwan, and also hope that these two opponents suffer defeats to others as well.

Karnali Yaks

The Yaks have had an average season so far. They started with straight wins—against Janakpur and Biratnagae—but lost the last two—against Kathmandu and Sudurpaschim. 

With two wins and two losses in the first four matches. Wins in the last three matches means they can still finish with 10 points and as one of the top four. And it looks possible with the South African power hitter David Miller, Bangladeshi youngsters—Ariful Islam and Jishan Alam, Nepal’s experienced Sompal Kami and promising Gulshan Kumar Jha in the squad. 

Biratnagar Kings

Biratnagar have surprised the Nepali cricket fans with the global stars they have brought from the first season itself—Martin Guptill in the first season, Faf du Plessis in the second and Andre Russell in the third.

Du Plessis was crucial in Biratnagar’s second-place finish in the league stage last season. But they lost both their playoff matches and got knocked out from the chance to win the title. In the third season, it is comparably worse.

Despite the big name like Russell in the squad, Biratnagar have only managed two wins in their last five games this season and are second-to-last in the points table. And Russell has already left, with the Kings having no one to replace the star all-rounder.

Biratnagar can accumulate eight points if they win their remaining two matches—against Pokhara and Lumbini. But it will also be up to the team’s luck to see if eight points will suffice for a spot in the top four or not.

Pokhara Avengers

Pokhara are the only team which has not been able to play in the playoffs in the first two seasons. In the third, the chances are even slimmer.

The Avengers are winless in the season, having lost their first four matches against Sudurpaschim, Janakpur, Lumbini and Chitwan. And even if Pokhara somehow win their last three games—against Karnali, Biratnagar and Kathmandu—they will not be able to finish as one of the top four.