Karnali vs Lumbini NPL 2026 Match Result: D’Arcy Short’s 46 Powers Lumbini to 4-Wicket Win

Lumbini Lions kept their Nepal Premier League 2026 playoff push on track with a four-wicket victory over Karnali Yaks in Match 23 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur on Thursday, November 12. Chasing just 106, Lumbini reached 107 for six in 16.4 overs, winning with 20 balls to spare, after D’Arcy Short top-scored with 46 off 34 balls and then took two wickets with the ball.

Karnali won the toss and elected to bat first, but were bowled out for 105 in 19.2 overs despite Sompal Kami’s 28 off 18 balls. The defeat was Karnali’s fourth in a row after winning their first two matches of the season, and it leaves their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. The match was played under a new Karnali captain, with South African star David Miller taking over from Sompal Kami, but the change could not revive the Yaks’ batting.

The result lifts Lumbini to nine points from six matches, with four wins, one defeat and one no-result, sealing their place in the playoffs as the first team to qualify and taking them to the top of the points table. Karnali stay on four points from six matches, and with only the top four teams from the eight-team round-robin league reaching the playoffs, they now need favours from other results as well as wins of their own.

Karnali vs Lumbini NPL 2026 Match 23 Score Summary

Karnali were bowled out for 105 in 19.2 overs after winning the toss and batting first. Sompal Kami top-scored with 28 off 18 balls, hitting four fours and a six, while Hussain Talat made 24 off 22 balls and Gulsan Jha contributed 13 off 14. No other Karnali batter reached double figures apart from Pawan Sarraf’s 12, as Lumbini’s bowlers shared the wickets around.

Lumbini’s reply of 107 for six in 16.4 overs was built on D’Arcy Short’s 46 off 34 balls, with six fours and a six, and an unbeaten 28 off 27 balls from Dilip Nath. Mark Watt threatened to turn the match with four for 12 for Karnali, but Nath and Ruben Trumpelmann saw Lumbini home in an unbroken stand.

Team	Score	Top scorer	Best bowling
Karnali Yaks	105 all out (19.2 overs)	Sompal Kami 28 (18)	Kishore Mahato 2/6, D’Arcy Short 2/13, Rohit Paudel 2/12
Lumbini Lions	107/6 (16.4 overs)	D’Arcy Short 46 (34)	Mark Watt 4/12

Karnali Yaks Batting: Miller’s Captaincy Change Fails to Revive the Yaks

Karnali’s innings never got going after David Miller won the toss in his first match as captain and chose to bat. Opener Dipendra Rawat fell for a four-ball duck, and Karnali slipped to 19 for three inside the first five overs, with Ariful Islam making four and Deepak Dumre four. Miller himself managed only five off seven balls before falling to Sher Malla.

Sompal Kami, batting at number six after handing over the captaincy, was Karnali’s top scorer with 28 off 18 balls, striking four fours and a six. Hussain Talat supported him with 24 off 22 balls, including two fours and a six, and Gulsan Jha added 13 off 14. Once Kami was caught by Aasif Sheikh at long-on off Short, the lower order folded and Karnali were bowled out for 105 with four balls unused.

Batter	Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes
Sompal Kami	28	18	4	1
Hussain Talat	24	22	2	1
Gulsan Jha	13	14	2	0
Pawan Sarraf	12	24	1	0
David Miller (c)	5	7	1	0

Lumbini Lions Bowling: Mahato, Short and Paudel Share the Wickets

Lumbini’s bowlers were disciplined throughout the Karnali innings. Kishore Mahato was the pick of the attack with two for six from 2.2 overs, while captain Rohit Paudel claimed two for 12 from three overs and D’Arcy Short took two for 13 in four overs. Abhishesh Gautam took two for 21, and Sher Malla and Ruben Trumpelmann took a wicket each.

Mahato struck twice in the powerplay and returned to finish the innings, while Short removed Pawan Sarraf and then Sompal Kami to break Karnali’s only meaningful partnership. Paudel dismissed Hussain Talat and Mark Watt, and Karnali’s total of 105 was the lowest first-innings score of the day at Kirtipur.

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets
Kishore Mahato	2.2	6	2
Rohit Paudel (c)	3	12	2
D’Arcy Short	4	13	2
Abhishesh Gautam	4	21	2
Sher Malla	2	15	1
Ruben Trumpelmann	3	20	1

Lumbini Lions Batting: Short’s 46 and Nath’s Calm Finish

Lumbini’s chase of 106 was harder than it should have been. D’Arcy Short top-scored with 46 off 34 balls, hitting six fours and a six, and shared a 41-run stand with Niroshan Dickwella, who made 16 off 13 balls. But Lumbini kept losing wickets, slipping to 19 for three in the fifth over as Aasif Sheikh fell for one, captain Rohit Paudel for one and Sundeep Jora for four.

Mark Watt then threatened to win the match for Karnali, finishing with four for 12 in four overs, including a maiden. When Short fell to Hussain Talat for 46 with the score on 79 for five, Lumbini still needed 27 runs. Dilip Nath held his nerve with an unbeaten 28 off 27 balls, hitting four fours, and with Ruben Trumpelmann two not out, Lumbini reached 107 for six in 16.4 overs.

Batter	Runs	Balls	Fours	Sixes
D’Arcy Short	46	34	6	1
Dilip Nath	28*	27	4	0
Niroshan Dickwella (wk)	16	13	2	0
Shamim Hossain	5	5	1	0
Sundeep Jora	4	2	1	0

Player of the Match: D’Arcy Short

D’Arcy Short was named Player of the Match for his all-round display, top-scoring with 46 off 34 balls and taking two for 13 with the ball. Mark Watt’s four for 12 was the best bowling performance of the game.

Key Turning Points in Karnali vs Lumbini

• Karnali’s top-order collapse: Karnali lost three wickets inside five overs and never recovered, with Rawat’s duck and Miller’s five leaving the middle order with too much to do.
• Sompal Kami’s dismissal: Kami’s 28 off 18 balls was Karnali’s only fluent innings. Once Short had him caught at long-on, Karnali’s last wickets fell quickly and they were bowled out for 105.
• Mark Watt’s four-wicket spell: Watt’s four for 12, including a maiden, dragged Karnali back into the match and left Lumbini 79 for five, still needing 27 runs.
• Dilip Nath’s calm finish: Nath’s unbeaten 28 off 27 balls steadied Lumbini after Short’s dismissal and took them home with 20 balls to spare.

What the Result Means for the NPL 2026 Points Table

Lumbini’s win takes them to nine points from six matches, with four wins, one defeat and one no-result, and lifts them to the top of the eight-team table. They are the first team to seal a playoff place, with the top four teams qualifying for the knockout stage.

Karnali, meanwhile, stay on four points from six matches after a fourth straight defeat. They won their first two matches of the season, but defeats to Kathmandu Gorkhas, Sudurpaschim Royals, Pokhara Avengers and now Lumbini Lions have left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

What’s Next in NPL 2026

Lumbini will look to carry this momentum into their remaining league fixtures as the playoff race tightens, while Karnali face a must-win run of games to keep their season alive.

Karnali vs Lumbini NPL 2026 FAQs

Who won Karnali vs Lumbini in NPL 2026 Match 23?

Lumbini Lions won by four wickets, chasing down Karnali’s 105 with 107 for six in 16.4 overs.

Who was the top scorer in Karnali vs Lumbini?

D’Arcy Short top-scored with 46 off 34 balls for Lumbini, while Sompal Kami’s 28 off 18 was Karnali’s best.

Who took the most wickets in Karnali vs Lumbini?

Mark Watt took four for 12 for Karnali, the best bowling figures of the match. Kishore Mahato, D’Arcy Short and Rohit Paudel took two wickets each for Lumbini.

Are Karnali Yaks still in the NPL 2026 playoff race?

Only just. The defeat was Karnali’s fourth in a row and leaves them on four points from six matches, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

Follow every NPL 2026 match in our NPL 2026 today match guide, and catch up on the other results in our Pokhara vs Karnali match result and Chitwan vs Kathmandu match result reports.