NPL Finals History: Every Final, Winner and Result So Far
Two NPL finals have been played, and they could hardly have been more different. The first, in December 2024, was a high-scoring thriller decided in the penultimate over. The second, a year later, was a low-scoring rout that ended inside nine overs of the chase. Both were won by teams chasing, and both left the same team heartbroken. Here is the complete NPL finals history — every final, every winner, and the story of the team that has lost them both.
Every NPL Final So Far
| Season | Final Date | Venue | Winner | Result | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 21 December 2024 | TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur | Janakpur Bolts | Beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 5 wickets | Lahiru Milantha (87 off 49) |
| 2025 | 13 December 2025 | TU International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur | Lumbini Lions | Beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 6 wickets | Ruben Trumpelmann (3/3) |
The third NPL final is scheduled for 21 November 2026 at the same venue, Kirtipur, as Season 3 reaches its conclusion. If the pattern holds, Sudurpaschim Royals will be there — and will be desperate to make it third time lucky.
NPL Final 2024: Janakpur Bolts Beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 5 Wickets
The first NPL final, on 21 December 2024, was a fitting end to the league’s inaugural season. Sudurpaschim Royals, the league stage’s dominant team, batted first and posted 184 for 9. It looked a competitive total on a slowing Kirtipur surface, and when Janakpur Bolts lost early wickets, the Royals were favourites.
Then Lahiru Milantha took over. The Sri Lankan opener, who had already finished as the season’s leading run-scorer with 293 runs, smashed 87 off 49 balls to drag Janakpur back into the contest. He was supported by Aasif Sheikh, who scored 33 off 19 balls, and Janakpur chased the target down with four balls to spare, reaching 185 for 5 in 19.2 overs to become the first NPL champions.
Milantha was named Player of the Match for his 87, and the individual award for the season went to Sudurpaschim’s Saif Zaib, who was named Player of the Tournament for 2024. For the Royals, it was a bitter end to a brilliant season: they had topped the league stage, but they had no answer to Milantha on the night that mattered most.
NPL Final 2025: Lumbini Lions Beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 6 Wickets
A year later, the same team stood in the way — and this time the final was barely a contest. On 13 December 2025, Sudurpaschim Royals were bowled out for just 85 in 19.1 overs, the lowest total ever recorded in an NPL final and the second-lowest total in league history. The damage was done by captain Rohit Paudel, whose hat-trick in the 11th over removed Dipendra Singh Airee, Dipak Bohara and Puneet Mehra in successive deliveries — the first hat-trick ever taken in an NPL final — on his way to figures of 3/12. Ruben Trumpelmann finished with 3/3 and was named Player of the Match, and also Player of the Series.
Lumbini Lions chased it down for the loss of only four wickets, reaching 86 for 4 in just nine overs to win by six wickets and become the second NPL champions. Dinesh Adhikari set the tone with 42 off just 13 balls, including four sixes in the first over, which went for 27 runs. The result completed a remarkable turnaround for Lumbini: after losing their first three matches of the season, the Lions won six consecutive matches to lift the trophy. Their captain, Rohit Paudel — the league’s all-time leading run-scorer — finally had a trophy to match his personal record.
For Sudurpaschim Royals, the defeat was devastating. They had now reached both NPL finals and lost both, despite winning more matches than any other team across the two seasons. Their 14 wins from 18 matches give them the best win-loss record in league history, but the trophy cabinet remains empty.
Finals by the Numbers
Both NPL finals have been won by the team batting second, both have been played at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, and both have been lost by Sudurpaschim Royals. The two finals could hardly have been more different in character: the 2024 final produced 369 runs and was decided with four balls to spare, while the 2025 final produced 171 runs and was effectively over inside the first over of the chase, when Dinesh Adhikari smashed 27 runs off Dipendra Singh Airee’s opening over.
| Final | First Innings | Second Innings | Margin | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sudurpaschim Royals 184/9 | Janakpur Bolts 185/5 (19.2 overs) | 5 wickets | Lahiru Milantha (87 off 49) |
| 2025 | Sudurpaschim Royals 85 (19.1 overs) | Lumbini Lions 86/4 (9 overs) | 6 wickets | Ruben Trumpelmann (3/3) |
The individual awards tell their own story. In 2024, the Player of the Match was a batter — Milantha, whose 87 won the game. In 2025, it was a bowler — Trumpelmann, whose 3/3 destroyed the Royals’ top order and who was also named Player of the Series for his 15 wickets across the tournament. The 2024 Player of the Tournament was Saif Zaib of Sudurpaschim Royals, the only major individual award the Royals have won — a fitting detail for a team that has dominated everything except the final itself.
How the Finalists Got There
Sudurpaschim Royals topped the league stage in both seasons, winning six of their seven league matches each time. Their route to the final was never in doubt; their problem has always been the last step. In 2024 they were beaten by a single great innings from Milantha. In 2025 they were beaten by a collective bowling performance — Paudel’s hat-trick, Trumpelmann’s 3/3 and Sher Malla’s 3/18 — that bowled them out for the second-lowest total in league history.
Their opponents took very different routes. Janakpur Bolts won the 2024 title behind Milantha’s batting and Lalit Rajbanshi’s 17 wickets at an economy rate of 5.32. Lumbini Lions won the 2025 title after losing their first three matches of the season, then winning six in a row — a turnaround that remains the greatest in NPL history. If Season 3 produces a third different champion, it will be because another team found a similar hot streak at the right time.
Sudurpaschim Royals: The Best Team Never to Win the NPL
No team in NPL history has a record to match Sudurpaschim Royals’ consistency. They topped the league stage in both previous seasons, won six of seven matches in each, and reached both finals. Yet they have lost both finals — first by five wickets to Janakpur Bolts, then by six wickets to Lumbini Lions. Their story is the defining narrative of the NPL so far: the best team in the league, still waiting for a title.
The Royals’ strength has been their depth. Binod Bhandari, Saif Zaib and Dipendra Singh Airee all feature among the league’s all-time leading run-scorers, while Scott Kuggeleijn is the NPL’s leading wicket-taker with 27 wickets and Abinash Bohara was joint-leading wicket-taker in 2025 with 17. No other franchise has matched that balance across both seasons.
NPL Champions List
| Season | Champions | Runners-Up | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Janakpur Bolts | Sudurpaschim Royals | Kirtipur |
| 2025 | Lumbini Lions | Sudurpaschim Royals | Kirtipur |
| 2026 | To be decided | — | Kirtipur (21 November 2026) |
Two different champions in two seasons is exactly what a new league wants: it proves the competition is open. Janakpur Bolts won the first title behind Milantha’s brilliance, Lumbini Lions won the second behind a five-match winning streak, and Season 3 offers a third different winner — or a first title for Sudurpaschim Royals, or a second for one of the former champions. The NPL 2026 squads show all three finalists strengthened again, and the NPL 2026 today match page follows every step of the road to the 21 November final.
FAQs: NPL Finals History
Who won the first NPL final?
Janakpur Bolts, who beat Sudurpaschim Royals by five wickets in the 2024 final at Kirtipur on 21 December 2024.
Who won the NPL in 2025?
Lumbini Lions, who beat Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets in the 2025 final at Kirtipur on 13 December 2025.
Has any team won the NPL twice?
No. Janakpur Bolts (2024) and Lumbini Lions (2025) are the only champions so far, one title each.
Which team has lost the most NPL finals?
Sudurpaschim Royals, who have lost both finals played so far — in 2024 and 2025.