Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts Prediction, Fantasy Tips & Dream11 Team | NPL 2026 Match 14
Lumbini Lions face Janakpur Bolts in the 14th match of Nepal Premier League 2026 on Thursday, 5 November, at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. The 12:30 PM NPT fixture is the first meeting of the season between the defending champions and Janakpur.
Lumbini finished fourth in the 2025 league stage with four wins from seven matches before winning the title. Janakpur finished bottom with one win from seven. Their NPL head-to-head stands at one win each from two completed matches, both at Kirtipur.
Pre-match note
This prediction is published before the toss and confirmed by playing XIs. Fantasy selections, especially overseas players, should be checked and adjusted once both teams announce their lineups.
Match Details
| Match | Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts |
| Tournament | NPL 2026 (Season 3) |
| Match | Match 14 |
| Date | November 05 |
| Time | 12:30 PM |
| Venue | Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground, Kirtipur |
| Teams | Lumbini Lions, Janakpur Bolts |
Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts:
Lumbini entered as defending champions with a retained core built around captain Rohit Paudel, Sher Malla, Dinesh Adhikari, and Sundeep Jora. They added Aasif Sheikh at the July auction and have reported overseas options in Ruben Trumpelmann and Niroshan Dickwella. Janakpur retained marquee spinner Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi along with Anil Kumar Sah and others and has reported overseas all-rounders including Harmeet Singh (as captain), James Neesham, Moeen Ali, and Iftikhar Ahmed. The contrast is Lumbini’s proven title-winning template against Janakpur’s overseas-heavy rebuild. Overseas availability remains unconfirmed until the official XI.
Team News
Lumbini Lions
Rohit Paudel (captain, marquee), Sher Malla, Dilip Nath, Sundeep Jora, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhisesh Gautam, Tilak Bhandari.
Auction additions include Aasif Sheikh (wicketkeeper, NPR 20 lakh), Kishor Mahato, Aakash Tripathi and others.
Overseas listings: Ruben Trumpelmann (Namibia) and Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka). These remain reported until the playing XI is announced.
Janakpur Bolts
Auction additions include Trit Raj Das (batter), Santosh Karki (wicketkeeper), and several all-rounders.
Overseas listings: Harmeet Singh (USA, reported captain), James Neesham (New Zealand), Moeen Ali (England), and Iftikhar Ahmed (Pakistan). These are reported signings and do not guarantee selection for this match.
Kirtipur Pitch Report
The Kirtipur square was rebuilt ahead of NPL 2026. Previous-season averages should not be treated as a guaranteed guide. This is a day match starting at 12:30 PM, so evening dew is not a factor. Conditions closer to match day, plus results from earlier games in the tournament, will give a clearer picture. For fantasy, avoid building the entire team around an assumption of a very high or very low total until a pitch note is available.
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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
Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts: Head-to-Head NPL Record
| Matches played | 2 |
| Won by Lumbini Lions | 1 |
| Won by Janakpur Bolts | 1 |
| Tied / No Results | — |
| First-ever fixture | 8 December 2024 (Janakpur Bolts won by 1 run) |
| Most recent fixture | 5 December 2025 (Lumbini Lions won by 4 wickets) |
Both meetings were at Kirtipur. In 2024 Janakpur posted 136/9 and held Lumbini at 135/8. In 2025 Janakpur made 132/6, and Lumbini chased it in 19.1 overs; Rohit Paudel was the player of the match.
Lumbini Lions vs Janakpur Bolts Prediction
Lumbini holds a slight edge through their title-winning 2025 campaign, retained bowling core, and the addition of Aasif Sheikh. Janakpur’s path depends on whether their reported overseas all-rounders are available and the top order holds. The margin is narrow because overseas selection is unconfirmed and the new surface is unproven.
Our prediction: Lumbini Lions 56% – Janakpur Bolts 44%.
Fantasy Tips
Safe options center on confirmed roles: Paudel (batting plus overs) and Sher Malla (full overs). Aasif Sheikh is the priority wicketkeeper if he bats high. Harmeet, Neesham and Trumpelmann are higher-upside only if named. Do not lock any overseas player until the XI is published.
Captain Picks
Captain pick: Rohit Paudel
Captain pick: Harmeet Singh
Final Prediction
Lumbini Lions hold a narrow advantage as defending champions with a settled retained core and stronger 2025 finish. The prediction tightens or flips if Janakpur’s overseas all-rounders are all available and the new surface proves batting-friendly.
Predicted winner: Lumbini Lions
Win probability:
- Lumbini Lions – 56%
- Janakpur Bolts – 44%
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.