Biratnagar Kings secured their first win in the Nepal Premier League (NPL) with a thrilling 2-wicket victory over Lumbini Lions in the second match of the day on Wednesday.

After two consecutive losses, Biratnagar bounced back, while Lumbini suffered a defeat in their opening game of the tournament.

Chasing a challenging target of 192 runs set by Lumbini, Biratnagar reached the target with one ball to spare, losing 8 wickets in the process.

Opener Lokesh Bam played a pivotal role in the chase, scoring a blistering 71 runs off 47 balls, which included 3 fours and 5 sixes, before being dismissed. Martin Guptill added 28 runs before being bowled out by Durgesh Gupta. Basir Ahmad contributed 40 runs before being caught out, while Pratis GC was dismissed for just 6 runs.

For Lumbini, Durgesh Gupta was the standout bowler, taking three wickets. Saad Bin Zafar and Ramon Simmonds claimed two wickets each, and Bivek Yadav took one.

Earlier, Lumbini, who won the toss and elected to bat first at the Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, posted a total of 191/7 in their 20 overs, the highest team total in the tournament so far.

Lumbini captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with 46 runs off 29 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes. Openers Ashutosh Ghirohiya and Arjun Saud contributed 15 and 17 runs, respectively, before being dismissed. Tom Moores scored 30 runs off 17 balls before being run out.

Lumbini's batting performance was marred by four run-outs, including Sandeep Jora (12) and Ben Cutting (6). Vivek Yadav struck two sixes in the final over, finishing unbeaten on 19 off seven balls, while Saad Bin Zafar remained not out on 15 runs and Ramon Simmonds was unbeaten on 2.

For Biratnagar, Ismatullah Alam, Rajesh Pulami, and Sandeep Lamichhane each took one wicket.