After the heartbreaking NPL season 1, the Lions in the season 2 roared back with full power and lifted up their first ever NPL Trophy. Through this win the Lions showed their passion and determination towards the game. The final match was played against the Sudurpaschim Royals on 13th December, where the Royals were bowled out at 85 runs and the Lions chased the score in just the 9th over. The day is now marked as the historic comeback by the Lumbini Lions, from 8th position in season 1 to winning the title in the next.
The Lumbini Lions franchise was officially established on September 5, 2024, when Fortuna Health Care secured the ownership rights. This milestone marked the beginning of a proud cricketing journey for the Lumbini region.
After the establishment of our franchise; in late 2024, just before the first auction, the Lions made headlines by getting Rohit Paudel, the captain of Nepal’s National Cricket Team, as their marquee player and skipper. His leadership symbolized the team’s vision to build around homegrown excellence.
<p data-start="0" data-end="520"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">During the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) player auction held on October 6, 2024, the Lions focused on carefully shaping a historic and competitive squad. </span><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline" style="font-size: 1rem;">Lumbini Lions</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">, one of the leading franchises in the </span><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline" style="font-size: 1rem;">Nepal Premier League</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">, approached the auction day with clarity, balance, and a well-defined strategy. In the auction organized by the </span><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline" style="font-size: 1rem;">Cricket Association of Nepal</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> (CAN), the franchise invested a total of Rs. 84,75,000 to assemble a strong and dynamic lineup.</span></p><p data-start="522" data-end="699">The squad includes prominent names such as Nepal national team captain <span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline">Rohit Paudel</span>, along with Bibek Yadav, Sandeep Jora, Arjun Saud, and Surya Tamang.</p><p> </p><p data-start="701" data-end="1103" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">At the auction, the Lions secured Bibek Yadav, Sandeep Jora, and Surya Tamang for Rs. 15 lakhs each. They also acquired Aashutosh Ghiraiya and Tilak Raj Bhandari for Rs. 10 lakhs each, Durgesh Gupta for Rs. 8 lakhs, Arjun Saud for Rs. 5 lakhs, Dinesh Adhikari for Rs. 2.75 lakhs, and both Abhishesh Gautam and Bikash Aagri for Rs. 2 lakhs each, completing a well-balanced squad for the historic season.</p>
The Lions played their first ever official match of Nepal Premier League on December 4, 2024 against Biratnagar Kings. Marking their debut on the national stage, the team emerged as a new force in Nepali cricket, awakening the pride among fans across Lumbini.