Lumbini Lions Squad and Schedule NPL 2026: Full List
Published on October 23, 2026
Summary Overview: Defending champions Lumbini Lions' squad for the Nepal Premier League 2026, captained by Rohit Paudel with D'Arcy Short, Niroshan Dickwella, Shamim Hossain and Ruben Trumpelmann. All seven league fixtures in Nepal Time, UTC, IST and ET.
Who are Lumbini Lions? The defending champions of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). They won the second season in December 2025, beating Sudurpaschim Royals by 6 wickets in the final.
Who is the captain? Rohit Paudel, Nepal's national captain, retained as the team's marquee player.
Who are the overseas players? Australia's D'Arcy Short, Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella, Bangladesh's Shamim Hossain and Namibia's Ruben Trumpelmann. More overseas signings are expected.
When is their first match? The season opener, on Monday, October 26 against Sudurpaschim Royals at 5:00 PM Nepal Time (11:15 UTC, 4:45 PM IST, 7:15 AM ET). It is a rematch of last year's final.
The Story: The Champions Keep Their Core
The Nepal Premier League returns for its third season from October 26 to November 21, with every game at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur. Janakpur Bolts won the first title in 2024, and Lumbini Lions won the second in 2025.
For readers new to cricket: in a T20 match, each team bats for up to 20 overs (an over is six legal deliveries), so a game lasts about three and a half hours. In the NPL, the eight teams play each other once, and the top four reach the playoffs. Each team can field up to four overseas players in its XI.
Lumbini won last year's final in style. They bowled Sudurpaschim out for 85, with Sher Malla, Ruben Trumpelmann and captain Rohit Paudel each taking three wickets, then chased the target in just nine overs. Dinesh Adhikari hit 42 off 13 balls.
All of those match-winners are back. The Lions have retained 10 players, more than any other team we have covered this season.
The Talking Points
Rohit Paudel Leads Again
Rohit Paudel captains Nepal and was retained as Lumbini's marquee player. He is a top-order batter who can also bowl leg-spin, and he took three wickets in last year's final.
Aasif Sheikh, the Big Buy
Wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh was Lumbini's top buy at the auction, at Rs. 20 lakh, the highest price of any auction buy in the squads we have covered so far. He joins fellow keepers Dilip Nath and Niroshan Dickwella, giving the Lions plenty of options behind the stumps.
Overseas Firepower
D'Arcy Short, retained from last season, is an attacking Australian opener who bowls left-arm wrist-spin. Niroshan Dickwella is a former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter, and Shamim Hossain is a Bangladesh all-rounder who hits hard in the middle order.
Trumpelmann's Busy Month
Namibia left-arm seamer Ruben Trumpelmann was one of the heroes of last year's final. He is currently playing Namibia's ODI series against Ireland at home, which runs until November 1, so he is likely to miss Lumbini's first few games.
The Full Lumbini Lions Squad
| Role | Players |
| Captain | Rohit Paudel |
| Batters | Rohit Paudel (c), Niroshan Dickwella, Sundeep Jora, Dilip Nath (wk), Aasif Sheikh (wk), Aakash Tripathi |
| All-rounders | D'Arcy Short, Shamim Hossain, Sher Malla, Arniko Yadav |
| Bowlers | Ruben Trumpelmann, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhishesh Gautam, Tilak Bhandari, Kishore Mahato, Durgesh Gupta, Ajay Chauhan |
17 players as of October 24. Overseas: Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka), D'Arcy Short (Australia), Shamim Hossain (Bangladesh), Ruben Trumpelmann (Namibia). Each NPL squad must have six to eight overseas players, so more overseas signings are expected.
How They Were Signed
| Player | How signed | Price |
| Rohit Paudel | Retained (marquee) | |
| Niroshan Dickwella | Retained | |
| Sundeep Jora | Retained | |
| Dilip Nath | Retained | |
| D'Arcy Short | Retained | |
| Sher Malla | Retained | |
| Ruben Trumpelmann | Retained | |
| Dinesh Adhikari | Retained | |
| Abhishesh Gautam | Retained | |
| Tilak Bhandari | Retained | |
| Shamim Hossain | Overseas signing | |
| Aasif Sheikh | Auction | Rs. 20 lakh |
| Kishore Mahato | Auction | Rs. 10 lakh |
| Aakash Tripathi | Auction | Rs. 5 lakh |
| Durgesh Gupta | Auction | Rs. 5 lakh |
| Arniko Yadav | Auction | Rs. 2 lakh |
| Ajay Chauhan | Auction | Rs. 2 lakh |
Prices are in Nepali rupees, as listed by the Nepal Premier League.
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Players to Watch
Rohit Paudel (c): Nepal's captain, a top-order batter who also bowls leg-spin.
Aasif Sheikh (wk): Nepal's wicketkeeper-batter and Lumbini's Rs. 20 lakh auction buy.
D'Arcy Short: An explosive opener who also bowls left-arm wrist-spin.
Sher Malla: A retained all-rounder who took three wickets in last year's final.
Ruben Trumpelmann: Namibia's left-arm seamer, another three-wicket hero from the 2025 final.
Shamim Hossain: A Bangladesh all-rounder who finishes innings with big hitting.
Lumbini Lions Fixtures (Nepal Time, UTC, IST and ET)
All matches are at the TU International Cricket Stadium, Kirtipur.
| # | Date | Opponent | Nepal (NPT) | UTC | IST | ET |
| 1 | Mon, Oct 26 | vs Sudurpaschim Royals | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 7:15 AM |
| 7 | Sat, Oct 31 | vs Chitwan Rhinos | 12:30 PM | 06:45 | 12:15 PM | 2:45 AM |
| 13 | Tue, Nov 3 | vs Pokhara Avengers | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
| 14 | Thu, Nov 5 | vs Janakpur Bolts | 12:30 PM | 06:45 | 12:15 PM | 1:45 AM |
| 18 | Sat, Nov 7 | vs Kathmandu Gurkhas | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
| 23 | Thu, Nov 12 | vs Karnali Yaks | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
| 26 | Sat, Nov 14 | vs Biratnagar Kings | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
NPT is Nepal Time (UTC+5:45). IST is India Standard Time (UTC+5:30). ET is US Eastern Time: Daylight Time (UTC-4) until November 1, then Standard Time (UTC-5). In Pakistan, 12:30 PM games start at 11:45 AM and 5:00 PM games at 4:15 PM. Every match starts on the same calendar date in all zones.
The fixture pattern: the champions open the season with a rematch of last year's final against Sudurpaschim Royals. They then play three games in five days, from November 3 to 7, and finish against Biratnagar Kings on November 14.
Playoffs (If They Qualify)
| Stage | Date | Fixture | Nepal (NPT) | UTC | IST | ET |
| Qualifier 1 | Tue, Nov 17 | 1st vs 2nd | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
| Eliminator | Wed, Nov 18 | 3rd vs 4th | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
| Qualifier 2 | Thu, Nov 19 | Loser Q1 vs Winner Eliminator | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
| Final | Sat, Nov 21 | Winner Q1 vs Winner Q2 | 5:00 PM | 11:15 | 4:45 PM | 6:15 AM |
Stat Corner
| Stat | Figure |
| Squad size | 17 as of Oct 24 |
| Retained players | 10 |
| Overseas players | 4 named (6 to 8 required) |
| Most expensive auction buy | Aasif Sheikh, Rs. 20 lakh |
| NPL titles | 1 (2025) |
| 2025 final | Beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 6 wickets |
| League matches | 7 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is in the Lumbini Lions squad for NPL 2026?
- Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, D'Arcy Short, Niroshan Dickwella, Shamim Hossain, Ruben Trumpelmann and 11 more. The full list is above.
Who won the NPL in 2025?
- Lumbini Lions, who beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 6 wickets in the final.
Who is the Lumbini Lions captain?
- Rohit Paudel, who also captains Nepal.
When do Lumbini Lions play their first match?
- In the season opener on Monday, October 26, 2026, against Sudurpaschim Royals at 5:00 PM Nepal Time (4:45 PM IST).
Where are NPL 2026 matches played?
- All matches are at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur.
Related Guides and Series Coverage
📋 Nepal Premier League 2026 Schedule: Full NPL Season 3 Fixtures, Teams and Match Times
📋 Kathmandu Gurkhas Squad and Schedule for NPL 2026
📋 Namibia vs Ireland 1st ODI 2026: Ireland Win by 55 Runs
📋 Namibia vs Ireland ODI Series 2026: Schedule, Squads and Times