NPL at a glance: 8 teams, 22 days, 32 matches

Milantha Heroics

Janakpur won the opening match of the NPL by eight wickets. Chasing a target of 128 runs, Janakpur won the match in 15.3 overs. In the game, Lahiru Milantha was undefeated, scoring 75 runs off 53 balls. He and Harsh Thaker built an unbroken 116-run partnership for the third wicket. Thaker also scored 29 runs in the match. In the final, these two formed a 61-run partnership for the third wicket. Thaker finished the match undefeated, scoring 30 runs off 24 balls.

Coach Pubudu’s Feat

Pubudu Dassanayake, a former Nepali national team coach, trained Janakpur's NPL-winning team. Janakpur won the inaugural NPL championship under coach Dassanayake, who led Nepal to its first T-20 World Cup appearance. Dassanayake, the current head coach of Canadian cricket, coached Nepal in the T20 World Cup in 2014. He quit in 2015 and moved to the United States, then returned to Nepal in 2019 and resigned as Nepal's coach in 2022.

At the post-final news conference, coach Pubudu stated that his team's spinner, Lalit, bowled brilliantly throughout the competition and was his best player. He stated that sometimes the attention is just on runs and that Lalit's performance is a vital component of the game. Coach Pubudu stated that Lalit also bowled effectively on the batting pitch. He claims that he did not support Lalit just because he was Janakpur's coach and the tournament's star player.

He did, however, mention that Dipendra Singh Airee performed admirably. He remarked that Asif Sheikh and Lahiru Milantha altered the tone of the game in the power play. He stated that Nepal's senior and junior players did well in the NPL. He claims that this is the joyous part. He feels that sharing a locker room with top players will increase their confidence.

Award Winners

Sudurpaschim captain Dipendra Singh Airee has received the Omoda automobile, which was a popular award in the inaugural edition of the NPL. Airee scored 227 runs in nine NPL matches and took nine wickets. Airee is the first Nepali cricketer to receive a vehicle after a championship. Airee, who performed quite well in the NPL, was named the 'Electrifying Player of the Tournament' and earned an Omoda 'E' Five DLX automobile worth around 6.2 million rupees. Similarly, Lalit Rajbanshi, a member of the winning squad Janakpur, received an Ultraviolette electric motorbike. He won the motorbike for his spectacular performance in the NPL. Lalit claimed 17 wickets in the league.

Similarly, Sudurpaschim's Saif Ali Zaib received the 'Siddhartha Bank Player of the Tournament' title, which included a monetary reward of 5 million rupees. He scored 275 runs and claimed 12 wickets in the NPL. Similarly, Janakpur's Lahiru Milantha got the 'Maximum Force of the Tournament' accolade, which included a purse of Rs 200,000. He smashed 35 fours in the NPL and scored 293 runs. Similarly, James ‘Jimmy’ Neesham of Janakpur was awarded the 'Energetic Player of the Tournament' title. Neesham, who earned Rs 2 lakh, scored 247 runs and took seven wickets for Janakpur. Bipin Sharma, a major player for Karnali Yaks, earned the 'Emerging Player of the Tournament' honor and a cash prize of Rs 50,000. In addition, he won a Rs 1 million scholarship from the Presidential Graduate School. Bipin took 13 wickets in the NPL. Similarly, Lumbini Lions won the 'Fair Play' trophy.

NPL 2024 Final Awards - Nepal Premier League Award Winners List Champions:

Champion: Janakpur Bolts – Rs 11.1 million

Runners-up: Sudurpaschim Royals – Rs 5.1 million

Third Place: Karnali Yaks - Rs 2.5 million

Fourth Place: Chitwan Rhinos - Rs 1.5 million

Player of the Match (FINAL): Lahiru Milantha (Janakpur Bolts) - Rs 50,000

Siddhartha Bank Player of the Tournament: Saif Zaib (Sudurpaschim Royals) - Rs 500,000

Electric Player of the Tournament: Dipendra Singh Airee (A Omoda Car)

Red Bull Energetic Player of Tournament (Highest Strike Rate): Jimmy Neesham (Janakpur Bolts) - Rs 200,000

Emerging player of the tournament: Bipin Sharma (Karnali Yaks) - Rs 50,000 & Scholarship

NPL 2024 Fair Play Award: Lumbini Lions

Ncell Max 4s of the Tournament: Lahiru Milantha (Janakpur Bolts) - Rs 200,000