Digital Nepal

Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2024: The Next Step in the Evolution of Nepali Cricket

Nepal has had significant success in the world of cricket. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced a new national cricket league called the Nepal Premier League (NPL). It will be the first franchise Twenty-Twenty (20-20) cricket league in Nepal. Popular players worldwide are interested in playing in the Nepal Premier League (NPL). 

This tournament is going to start on November 30, 2024, and the final will be played on December 21, 2024. Since this is the first franchise tournament going to be held in Nepal, the duration of the tournament will be less than a month.

Popular players from some of the best cricket-playing teams have expressed their interest in the Nepal Premier League (NPL). Cricketers like Suresh Raina, David Warner, Dinesh Karthik, and other players from popular cricket-playing nations have piqued their interest in the Nepal Premier League (NPL)

With this blog, we are going to update you about the teams and players of the franchises

Teams

The 2024-25 season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) is shaping up with eight franchise teams representing various regions, each aiming to showcase talent from across Nepal. Here’s a summary of these teams, including their provincial representations:

Pokhara Avengers

Pokhara Avengers Logo

Backed by Nepal T20 Pvt. Ltd., Pokhara is the league’s most valuable team, with significant financial investment and an ambition to field a competitive squad in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL).

Kathmandu Gurkhas

Kathmandu Gurkhas Logo

Representing the capital in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL), Kathmandu’s franchise is owned by Kantipur Publications. Known for its rich cricket history, Kathmandu is expected to feature a mix of seasoned players and promising young talent.

Janakpur Bolts

Janakpur Bolts Logo

Represented by Dreams Sports, Janakpur is known for its local cricketing enthusiasm. The team is expected to reflect the city's spirit and dedication in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL).

Lumbini Lions

Lumbini Lions Logo

Fortuna Health Care backs Lumbini’s team in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL), bringing a calm, strategic approach, potentially inspired by the area’s heritage as the birthplace of Buddha.

Chitwan Rhinos

Chitwan rhinos Logo

Chitwan Medical College sponsors this franchise in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL), focusing on nurturing homegrown talent while prioritizing player fitness and preparation.

Sudurpashchim Royals

Sudurpaschim Royals Logo

Empire Sports brings Sudurpashchim into the NPL, aiming to blend local enthusiasm with a tactical gameplay approach to make a mark in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL).

Biratnagar Kings

Biratnagar Kings Logo

M.A.D Dreams Sports represents Biratnagar in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL), focusing on effective management and local support to create a solid competitive squad.

Karnali Yaks

The logo of Karnali Yaks

Despite having the league’s smallest budget, Karnali's franchise, led by Himalayan Builders, will highlight raw talent, embracing resilience and innovation in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL).

This diverse lineup makes the upcoming NPL season promising, with teams from each major region of Nepal competing from November 30 to December 21, 2024

Captains and Teams

In the first draft, some of the exceptional and famous players from Nepal were drafted by each of the total 8 teams. Yes, you heard it right, in the inaugural year of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) there are going to be 8 different teams from different parts of Nepal. Each of the teams has signed one captain or marquee player from Nepal. 

Eight Marquee players were listed from the draw on 14 September 2024

TeamMarquee player
Biratnagar KingsSandeep Lamichhane
Chitwan RhinosKushal Malla
Janakpur BoltsAasif Sheikh
Karnali YaksSompal Kami
Kathmandu GurkhasKaran KC
Lumbini LionsRohit Paudel
Pokhara AvengersKushal Bhurtel
Sudurpaschim RoyalsDipendra Singh Airee

The auction for team ownership was held on 5 September 2024. Below is the list of teams, team owners, and the team’s worth.

TeamProvince/CityOwnerCost
Biratnagar KingsBiratnagarMAD Dream Sportsरू1.51 crore (US$110,000)
Chitwan RhinosChitwanChitwan Medical Collegeरू1.76 crore (US$130,000)
Janakpur BoltsJanakpurDream Sportsरू2.05 crore (US$150,000)
Karnali YaksKarnaliHimalayan Buildersरू1.11 crore (US$83,000)
Kathmandu GurkhasKathmanduKathmandu Sports Development Ventureरू3.33 crore (US$250,000)
Lumbini LionsLumbiniFortuna Health Careरू1.86 crore (US$140,000)
Pokhara AvengersPokharaNepal T20 Pvt Ltdरू3.57 crore (US$270,000)
Sudurpaschim RoyalsSudurpashchimEmpire Sportsरू1.68 crore (US$130,000)

Altogether 8 teams from 8 different parts of Nepal are representing their province/city in the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) with Pokhara Avengers being the most expensive franchise with Kathmandu Gurkhas and Janakpur Bolts following the second and third most expensive team respectively.

Teams and Squads

New players are getting signed daily. And the squads of each teams are getting stronger day by day. The list of squad members from each respective teams are listed below:

Biratnagar KingsChitwan RhinosJanakpur BoltsKarnali YaksKathmandu GurkhasLumbini LionsPokhara AvengersSudurpaschim Royals
Head Coaches
Kevin O'BrienUmesh PatwalPubudu DassanayakeGyanendra MallaBasanta ShahiNandan PhadnisRajiv KumarJagat Tamata
Marquee Players
Sandeep LamichhaneKushal MallaAasif SheikhSompal KamiKaran KCRohit PaudelKushal BhurtelDipendra Singh Airee
Basir Ahamad
Lokesh Bam(wk)
Dipak Bohara
Subash Bhandari
Naren Bhatt
Pratish
GC
Mrinal Gurung
Anil
Kharel
Jitendra Mukhiya
Rajesh Pulami
Kamal Singh Airee
Deepak 
Bohara
Rijan Dhakal
Santosh Karki
Gautam KC
Ranjit Kumar
Bipin Rawal (wk)
Amar Routela
Dipesh Shrestha
Sharad Vesawkar
Hemant Dhami
Shubh Kansakar
Kishore Mahato
Sher Malla
Lalit RajbanshiRupesh Singh
Anil Sah (wk)
Tul Thapa
Aakash Tripathi
Arniko Yadav
Mousom Dhakal
Deepak Dumre
Rit Gautam
Arjun Gharti (wk)
Gulshan Jha
Dev Khanal
Bhuvan Karki
Dipendra Rawat
Unish Singh
Nandan Yadav
Shahab Alam
Dipesh Kandel
Krishna Karki
Rashid Khan
Bibek KC
Sumit Maharjan
Shankar Rana
Raju Rijal (wk)
Bhim Sharki
Pratik Shrestha
Bikash Aagri
Dinesh Adhikari
Tilak Raj Bhandari
Abhishesh Gautam
Ashutosh Ghiraiya
Durgesh Gupta
Sundeep Jora
Arjun Saud (wk)
Surya Tamang
Bibek Yadav
Aakash Chand
Trit Raj Das
Sagar Dhakal
Sunam Gautam
Amrit Gurung
Narayan Joshi
Dinesh Kharel
Bipin Khatri
Dilip Nath (wk)
Kiran Thagunna
Binod Bhandari (wk)
Bhoj Raj Bhatta
Abinash Bohara
Khadak Bohora
Naresh BudhayerArjun Kumal
Ishn Pandey
Naren Saud
Aarif Sheikh
Amit Shrestha

The head coach for each team has been signed and so far it looks quite promising. 

Venue

The venue for the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) is going to be the home ground of the National Cricket team of Nepal, The Tribhuvan International Cricket Stadium. 

This image is of Tribhuvan International Cricket Stadium

Points table

The points table for the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2024-25 is illustrated below. The point table will be updated after every match.

PositionTeamPlayedWonLossNRPtsNRRQualification
1Biratnagar Kings00000Advance to Qualifier 1
2Chitwan Rhinos00000
3Janakpur Bolts00000Advance to Eliminator
4Karnali Yaks00000
5Kathmandu Gurkhas00000
6Lumbini Lions00000
7Pokhara Avengers00000
8Sudurpaschim Royals00000

After the league starts this point table will be updated after every match.

New Players Sign-ins will be updated here. So, far the list of new sign ins are: