Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos Prediction, Fantasy Tips & Dream11 Team | NPL 2026 Match 7

| Updated - 13 Oct 2026, 23:06 GMT+5:45

Defending champions Lumbini Lions meet Chitwan Rhinos in Match 7 of NPL 2026 at 12:30 PM NPT on Saturday, October 31, at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. The Cricket Association of Nepal’s schedule has the league running from October 26, with Lumbini opening their title defense against the Sudurpaschim Royals. For both sides this is a second league game, and it follows the tournament’s first rest day on October 30.

History leans towards Lumbini. They won both previous NPL meetings with Chitwan, and Chitwan finished seventh last season. This page covers the prediction, the players who matter, and a provisional fantasy XI built around roles rather than reputations.

Pre-match note

This prediction is published before the toss and confirmed by the playing XIs. We’ll update it before the match with the latest confirmed team news and lineup details. Please check your fantasy selections again once both teams announce their playing XIs.

Match Details

Match	Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos
Tournament	NPL 2026 (Season 3)
Match	Match 7
Date	October 31
Time	12:30 PM
Venue	Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur
Teams	Lumbini Lions, Chitwan Rhinos

Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos:

Lumbini Lions enter NPL 2026 as the defending champions after beating Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets in the 2025 final. They finished fourth in the league stage last season with four wins from seven matches. Their first season was less successful, as they finished at the bottom with just one win. A strong start this time could help them build momentum early in their title defense.

Chitwan Rhinos finished third in the league stage during the inaugural NPL season but dropped to seventh in 2025, winning only two of their seven matches. They will be looking to improve their consistency and make a stronger push for the playoffs as they continue their search for a first NPL title.

Want to follow the match live? Check the Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos 7th Match full scorecard for live scores, ball-by-ball commentary, toss, and match updates.

Team News

Lumbini Lions

Lumbini Lions have retained seven players for NPL 2026, including captain and marquee player Rohit Paudel, Sher Malla, Dilip Nath, Sundeep Jora, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhishesh Gautam, and Tilak Bhandari.

They have also strengthened their squad with the addition of wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh, who was secured at the auction for NPR 20 lakh through a lucky draw. Kishor Mahato also joined the team through a lucky draw. Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella has been signed as an overseas player, while the status of other foreign players from last season needs to be confirmed.

Chitwan Rhinos

Chitwan Rhinos have retained seven players, including marquee player Kushal Malla, Dev Khanal, Arjun Saud, Kamal Singh Airee, Ranjeet Kumar, Deepak Bohara, and Rijan Dhakal. All-rounder Vivek Yadav has also joined the squad after missing the previous season through injury.

The Rhinos have signed experienced England all-rounder Ravi Bopara and appointed former Pakistan fast bowler Sohail Tanvir as head coach. Bopara was reported as their only overseas signing at the time of the August squad update, so any additional overseas players should be confirmed against the latest squad list before publication.

Pitch & venue analysis

The match is at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and starts at 12:30 PM, so it is played in full daylight.

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Pace Bowling

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Spin Bowling

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Batting Pitch

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Average Score

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Bowling Pitch

The one useful data point comes from last year’s meeting at this venue, where Chitwan made 142/7 and Lumbini chased it with nine balls to spare. That was a day-night match under lights, so it is an imperfect guide to a daytime game, and a single match can’t establish a trend. Update this section with the pitch report and the first week of tournament scoring once available.

Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos: Head-to-Head NPL Record

Matches played	2
Won by Lumbini Lions	1
Won by Chitwan Rhinos	—
Tied / No Results	—
First-ever fixture	NPL Season 1 (2024)
Most recent fixture	November 20, 2025 (Match 5 of Season 2)

Lumbini’s only win in Season 1 came against Chitwan. Last season they won again, by six wickets. The record is based on match reports, so check it against the official NPL record before publishing. Two matches is a small sample, so treat it as context rather than a trend.

Lumbini Lions vs Chitwan Rhinos Prediction

Lumbini Lions have the edge thanks to their settled squad and spin options, with Sher Malla expected to play a key role in the middle overs. Chitwan Rhinos will need a big innings from Ravi Bopara and stronger support from their top order to challenge the defending champions.

Our prediction: Lumbini Lions 62% – Chitwan Rhinos 34%.

Fantasy Tips

Build around Rohit Paudel, who can score points with both bat and ball, and treat the rest of the team as a balance of Lumbini’s likely stability and Chitwan’s few reliable scorers.

The top order is the key area. Lumbini has two wicketkeeper-batters (Aasif Sheikh and Dickwella), and it isn’t yet clear whether both will play or who will open. That decides which of them is worth the pick, so don’t lock either in until the XI is out.

Captain and Vice-Captain Picks

Captain: Rohit Paudel

Vice-Captain: Kushal Malla

Final Prediction

Lumbini Lions are the likelier winners, based on squad quality, Sher Malla’s spin, and Chitwan’s reliance on Bopara. The fantasy captain is Rohit Paudel, and the vice-captain is Ravi Bopara. A differential worth considering is Rijan Dhakal. The biggest factor that could change this prediction is the confirmed XI, particularly Lumbini’s overseas players and who opens the batting, followed by how both teams look after their first games.

Predicted winner: Lumbini Lions

Win probability:

Lumbini Lions – 62%
Chitwan Rhinos – 34%

NPL T20 Team

Written by the NPL T20 Team — cricket writers and editors covering the Nepal Premier League 2026. We share match reports, player profiles, points table updates, venue guides, and fantasy tips, verified through official and local sources.