Lumbini Lions: Led by the Skipper, Aiming to Roar in NPL 2025

Published · By Kushma Thapa

The Lumbini Lions, representing the Rupandehi region of Lumbini Province, enter the NPL 2025 season determined to climb the standings after a difficult debut year.

2024 Performance: Challenging Debut

The inaugural NPL season (2024) was tough for the Lions:

  • League Finish: They finished in last place.

  • Match Record: They secured just a single victory (against the Chitwan Rhinos) throughout the league stage.

Despite the result, the team is built around the leadership of Nepal's national captain, aiming for a significant turnaround in 2025.

2025 Squad Composition: Global All-Rounders

The franchise, owned by Ishwar G.C. (Chairman of GC Group/Fortuna Health Care), secured their new roster with an auction bid of रू1.86 crore (US$140,000). They have focused on high-impact foreign all-rounders to provide balance and finishing power.

Key Player Movements

  • Players Retained (7):

    • Rohit Kumar Paudel (Marquee/Captain), Sandeep Jora, Tilak Raj Bhandari, Durgesh Gupta, Abhishesh Gautam, Dinesh Adhikari, Sumit Maharjan

  • New Local (Nepali) Players (5):

    • Dilip Nath, Sher Malla, Aadil Khan, Bishal Patel, Sameer Ali (Listed as bowler from India, but often considered a local player in some NPL contexts)

  • New Foreign Players (5):

    • Gulbadin Naib (AFG), Thomas Jack Draca (ITA), JJ Smit (NAM), D'Arcy Short (AUS), Ruben Trumplemann (NAM)

International Star Power

The Lions have brought in a strong contingent of all-round specialists to replace their 2024 foreign core (Tom Moores, Mohammad Saifuddin, Ben Cutting, etc.):

  • D'Arcy Short (Australia): A high-profile opening batter and handy left-arm spinner, brought in to stabilize the top order.

  • Gulbadin Naib (Afghanistan): A powerful batting all-rounder known for his fast scoring and medium-pace bowling.

  • JJ Smit (Namibia) & Ruben Trumplemann (Namibia): Both bring potent left-arm fast bowling and reliable lower-order hitting, adding significant depth.

  • Thomas Jack Draca (Italy): An all-rounder contributing to the team's balance.

Leadership and Home Base

The Lumbini Lions represent the Rupandehi region of Lumbini Province.

Their home ground is the Extra Tech Oval.

Key information about the team:

  • Captain/Skipper: The team is captained by Marquee Player and Nepal national team captain, Rohit Kumar Paudel.

  • Head Coach: For 2025, the team is coached by Tinu Yohannan, taking over from Nandan Phadnis.

  • Debut Season: The team made its Nepal Premier League (NPL) debut in 2024.

Roster and Schedule Information

With a new coach, a reinforced all-rounder lineup, and the inspirational leadership of Rohit Paudel, the Lumbini Lions are focused on a winning performance in NPL 2025.

For the latest updates on the full squad roster and match details, including upcoming fixtures: