Karnali Yaks face Lumbini Lions in the 23rd match of the Nepal Premier League 2026 at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, on Thursday, 12 November, at 5:00 PM NPT (4:45 PM IST / 4:15 PM PKT). It is the second game of the day and a genuine playoff game for both sides—a Lumbini win guarantees them a playoff place, while Karnali must win to stay alive. You can follow the Karnali Yaks vs Lumbini Lions live score and the full NPL 2026 schedule on match day. The league is organized by the Cricket Association of Nepal, the official governing body for the tournament.
Match Preview
Karnali Yaks are 7th in the NPL 2026 points table with 4 points from two wins and three defeats, with a net run rate of -0.846. Lumbini Lions are 3rd with 7 points from three wins, one loss, and one no-result, with a net run rate of 1.501.
Both teams come in off defeats, but the form lines are very different. Karnali lost their last match by 63 runs to the Pokhara Avengers—Pokhara posted 217/3, with Yuvraj Samra making 102 and Kushal Bhurtel 62—before Karnali were bowled out for 154 despite Pawan Sarraf's 32 and Ariful Islam's 24. That was Karnali's third straight defeat. Lumbini lost their last match by 36 runs to Kathmandu Gorkhas—Kathmandu made 160/8 led by David Warner's 66, and Lumbini managed only 124, with Sundeep Jora scoring 45 off 46 balls.
Lumbini has the stronger, more settled side and the better bowling attack at Kirtipur. Karnali's hope is their power at the top—Ariful Islam and David Miller can change a game in five overs—and Sompal Kami, who gives them both runs and wickets. If Karnali's top order fails again, Lumbini's depth should win this.
Best Fantasy Picks
Ariful Islam (Karnali)—Karnali's top scorer with 143 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 183.33, including 12 sixes and a highest score of 44. The most explosive batter in this match. Full background in Ariful Islam .
Rohit Paudel (Lumbini)—Lumbini's captain has scored 90 runs in four innings at an average of 45.00, striking at 132.35 with a highest score of 47. Note on verification: one preview source lists his total as 190 runs. The innings-level data gives 90 runs, which matches his recorded scores (47 and 34 in his two biggest innings), so I have used 90 and flagged the discrepancy. See Rohit Paudel .
Sompal Kami (Karnali)—Karnali's most valuable fantasy player: 93 runs in five innings and nine wickets in five matches. His best game was 62 off 32 and 4/33 against the Biratnagar Kings.
D'Arcy Short (Lumbini)—Lumbini's batting all-rounder has scored 57 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 178.13 and claimed three wickets, including the best figures of 3/23.
Sher Malla (Lumbini)—Lumbini's top wicket-taker with eight wickets in the tournament and economical in the middle overs.
Captain and Vice-Captain Choices
- Captain (Small Leagues): Ariful Islam
- Captain (Grand Leagues): Rohit Paudel
- Vice-Captain: D'Arcy Short, Sompal Kami
Dream11 Team
Team 1 (2-3-3-3)
Keepers—Deepak Dumre, Niroshan Dickwella
Batters – David Miller, Rohit Paudel, Abhishesh Gautam
All-Rounders – Ariful Islam (C), Pawan Sarraf, D'Arcy Short (VC)
Bowlers – Sompal Kami, Sher Malla, Ruben Trumpelmann
Team 2 (2-3-3-3)
Keepers—Deepak Dumre, Niroshan Dickwella
Batters—David Miller, Rohit Paudel (C), Sundeep Jora
All-Rounders – Ariful Islam, Gulshan Jha, D'Arcy Short
Bowlers – Sompal Kami (VC), Sher Malla, Ruben Trumpelmann
Differential Picks (Dream11 credits were not verified at the time of writing, so these are selected on role and low ownership, not price)
- Gulshan Jha (Karnali)—65 runs in five innings, including five sixes, with a highest score of an unbeaten 28. A low-owned finisher who can turn a small total into a match-winning one.
- Sundeep Jora (Lumbini)—54 runs in two innings at an average of 27.00, with a highest score of 45. He was Lumbini's top scorer in their last match.
Players to Avoid—and Why
- Dipendra Rawat (Karnali)—Not in Karnali's probable XI, with Mark Watt, Gulshan Jha, and Surya Tamang ahead of him in the all-rounder order.
- Aakash Tripathi (Lumbini)—Not in Lumbini's probable XI, with Aasif Sheikh and Dilip Nath preferred in the batting order.
Avoiding both is a playing XI decision, not a form of judgement. If either is named after the toss, recheck your team.
Probable Playing XI
Probable XIs only—confirmed XIs are announced after the toss, and this section should be updated at that point. Fantasy teams above are combinations built from these XIs, not the XIs themselves.
Karnali Yaks: Ariful Islam, Jishan Alam, Mark Watt, Deepak Dumre (wk), David Miller, Pawan Sarraf, Sompal Kami (C), Gulshan Jha, Surya Tamang, Nandan Yadav, and Yuvraj Khatri. Full squad: Karnali Yaks 2026 squad
Lumbini Lions: D'Arcy Short, Aasif Sheikh, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Rohit Paudel (C), Sundeep Jora, Dilip Nath, Grant Stewart, Ruben Trumpelmann, Abhishesh Gautam, Sher Malla, Tilak Bhandari. Full squad: Lumbini Lions 2026 squad
Injury Update: No confirmed injury or unavailability update had been announced by either franchise at the time of publishing on 11-12 November.
Kirtipur Pitch Report and Weather
The TU ground surface has been balanced this season, with help for pace in the day and spin in the second innings, and a clear gap between batting first and chasing.
- Average 1st innings score: 157
- Average 2nd innings score: 137
Source: CricketWorld's NPL 2026 ground statistics for the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, published 11 November 2026, calculated from this season's Nepal Premier League matches at the venue. Other databases give slightly different averages (AI11: 165/132 from five T20 matches at the venue; CricketAddictor: 141 for the first innings), which is why the 157/137 figure should not be quoted without its source.
Weather: An evening game in Kirtipur, cooling through the match—17°C at the start falling to 14°C, around 1% chance of rain, humidity near 72%, and almost no wind, with dew unlikely. Source: match-day forecast for Kirtipur checked on 11 November 2026.
Head-to-Head Record
The sides have not met in NPL 2026. In their recent meetings overall, Karnali Yaks have won two matches to Lumbini Lions' none.
Match Winner Prediction
Lumbini Lions are favorites on standings, recent form, and bowling depth—a win guarantees them a playoff place. Karnali can win only if Ariful Islam and David Miller fire together and Sompal Kami delivers with both bat and ball. Prediction: Lumbini Lions.
For broadcast details, see the NPL 2026 live streaming and how to watch guide.
