League Stage Summary:
🔍 Matches Played: 9 📊 Points: 2 📈 NRR: -1.493 🏆Rank: 9
Lumbini Province found itself amidst controversy due to alleged biased player selection, notably highlighted by the absence of players from the provincial champion Banke District. Despite hosting matches at Siddhartha Stadium in Bhairahawa, Lumbini faced a tumultuous run in the Prime Minister Cup. Hosting five out of nine matches in Bhairahawa, their campaign began on a positive note with a 4-wicket victory over Gandaki on the opening day. However, this triumph turned out to be their sole celebratory moment in the tournament.
Lumbini endured defeats at their home ground, losing to Sudurpaschim (5 wickets), Karnali (60 runs), Army Club (65 runs), and APFC (75 runs). The change of venue to Kathmandu did not alter their fate, as they suffered further losses to Bagmati (6 wickets), Madhesh (9 runs), Koshi (16 runs), and Police Club (106 runs). Their only win came against them, as bottom-placed Koshi secured a victory. Lumbini concluded the tournament with just 2 points, finishing 9th out of 10 teams.
Batting : 📊Rating: 3.5
Lumbini’s batting performance was disastrous, failing to cross the 200-run mark in any match—the only team unable to do so throughout the tournament. Their highest total was 160 against Madhesh Province, and they fell short of 150 in six occasions. Mrinal Gurung emerged as the top scorer with 168 runs, supported by Dilsad Ali (149 runs) and Prajjwal Thapa (144 runs), with Thapa recording the only fifty for the team.
Bowling: 📊 Rating: 4.5
Lumbini’s bowling performance was below average, conceding scores of more than 200 only once, thanks to reduced overs in Bhairahawa and low targets while batting first. They failed to defend their total in all three instances of batting first. Avishek Gautam led the bowling attack with 14 wickets, followed by Nar Bahadur Sharki (11 wickets) and Bir Bahadur Gharti Magar (10 wickets). Ajay Chauhan achieved the only five-wicket haul for the team against Gandaki in the opening match.
Performance Peaks and Valleys:
Highs:
- Started the tournament on a high with a victory over Gandaki.
Lows:
- They failed to score more than 200 runs in an innings throughout the tournament.
- Neither the Batting nor their Bowling clicked.
- The team showed no fight after their first match.
A Failed Performance:
Lumbini Province faced controversies in player selection and struggled throughout the Prime Minister Cup. Despite hosting matches in Bhairahawa, their campaign was marked by defeats, with only one win against them. Scoring failures plagued their batting, while the bowling unit, led by Avishek Gautam, had a below-average performance. Finishing 9th out of 10 teams with just 2 points, Lumbini’s tournament experience serves as a valuable learning opportunity for future endeavors.
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