Tribhuvan Army Club won the Men’s PM Cup jointly with Nepal Police Club in the inaugural edition in 2017. The match had ended without a result on June 8 when Army were chasing Police’s target of 127.

Army then lost the finals in 2018 and 2019 to APF and Police, respectively. In the fourth edition in 2021, Army defeated APF by 33 runs to win the PM Cup twice.

Army got unlucky again as they lost in the final of 2022 to APF, and then to Police in 2024 and 2025. However, they could not be denied the trophy in the eighth edition.

Reaching the final of the Men’s PM Cup for the seventh time in eight editions, Army were facing a new opponent—Sudurpashchim Province—in the contest for the title. Only departmental clubs had made it to the finals of the Men’s PM Cup so far.

Sudurpashchim had the chance to become the first provincial team to lift the Men’s PM Cup. But the Army were better.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first at the Birgunj-based TB Shah Cricket Ground, Sudurpashchim could not play all the allocated overs, as they were bundled out at 161 in 39.4 overs.

Five of the top batters scored in single digits for Sudurpashchim. When Abhishek Pal (9 off 28), an opener, departed in 10.3 overs, Sudurpashchim were 31/5.

Kiran Thagunna (35 off 42) and Narayan Joshi (29 off 34) helped the provincial side find a footing, but it was not enough. Sudurpashchim were 104/8 in 25.1 overs when skipper Sher Malla (1 off 6) departed.

If it were not for Ashok Dhami (43 off 46) and Hemant Dhami (16 off 39), Sudurpashchim could not have posted a defendable target of 162.

Shahab Alam and Aakash Chand picked three wickets each, Basir Ahmad bagged two, and Kushal Malla picked one for Army.

Alam, Ahmad and Malla were on the field when they were announced in the Nepal squad for the T20I series with the UAE.

Sudurpashchim’s Hemant Dhami also received his maiden call to the Nepali squad, again for the T20Is. It was probably because he was on a high after receiving the good news that Dhami was difficult to play.

Dhami took two wickets against Army in his six overs. Sher Malla, Bikash Aagri and Ashok Dhami picked one each as well for Sudurpashchim, but Army completed the chase in 34.3 overs with five wickets to spare.

Dhami bagged two crucial wickets, of Binod Bhandari (2 off 3) and Bhim Sharki (4 off 9). Army won with contributions from Imran Sheikh (46 off 82), Basir Ahmad (45 off 56), Trit Raj Das (31 off 32) and Kushal Malla (17 off 17).

Sheikh and Ahmad built a 96-run winning partnership for the fifth wicket from 56/4 in 10.3 overs.