Shikhar Dhawan, Brendon McMullum, Martin Guptil among 40 international players to feature in the eight-team competition
KATHMANDU, Nov 30: The inaugural season of Nepal Premier League (NPL), a franchise-based Twenty20 cricket league, kicks off on Saturday with Biratnagar Kings facing Janakpur Bolts in the inaugural match at the Tribhuvan University (TU) Cricket Ground, Kirtipur, at 12:15 pm. The tournament will see 32 matches being played at the same venue, until the final match scheduled on December 21 at 12:15 pm.
The auctions for team ownership was held on September 5 in which Nepal T Twenty Cricket Pvt. Ltd. bought Pokhara Avengers for the maximum price of Rs 35.7 million. For this season, each team had a salary cap of Rs nine million for domestic auction of players.
Among the eight selected marquee players Sandeep Lamichhane was drawn to Biratnagar Kings, Kushal Malla to Chitwan Rhinos, Aasif Sheikh to Janakpur Bolts, Sompal Kami to Karnali Yaks, Karan KC to Kathmandu Gurkhas, Rohit Paudel to Lumbini Lions, Kushal Bhurtel to Pokhara Avengers and Dipendra Singh Airee to Sudurpaschim Royals.
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Twelve players became the most expensive signings during the NPL auction on October 6. During the auction, wicketkeeper batsman Anil Sah attracted most bids as all eight teams attempted to acquire his services for the maximum limit of Rs 1.5 million. He was drawn to Janakpur Bolts. Similarly, heavy-hitting allrounder Gulshan Jha was drawn to Karnali Yaks following bids from all the teams except for Lumbini Lions. Out of the 164 players participating in the auction, 80 players were sold.
One of the main attractions of the NPL starting Saturday will be the foreign players. The eight franchise teams participating in the NPL have already signed 40 foreign players. This is the first time that so many foreigners are coming to play cricket in Nepal. This has seen the excitement of the competition increase dramatically.
There is no limit on the amount of money that each team can spend to buy foreign players in the NPL. In fact, CAN has given a discount on the amount to be spent on foreign players.
India cricket team’s former opener Shikhar Dhawan, nicknamed ‘Gabbar’, is arguably the most popular player to be associated with the inaugural season of the NPL. The 38-year-old batsman, who was signed by Karnali Yaks, is the first Indian player who has played for the Indian national team to play in a Nepali franchise team.
Having played 34 Test matches, 167 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 68 Twenty20 Internationals, Dhawan retired from the national team two years ago. It is understood that Dhawan will take USD 30,000 per game and that he has been contracted to play four games for the Yaks.
The NPL will also feature four other players from Test-playing nations including New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham who will play for the Janakpur Bolts. Sudurpaschim Royals and Pokhara Avengers have signed Scott Kuggeleijn and Raymond Reifer respectively. The Sudurpaschim outfit have also signed batting all-rounder Brendon McMullum of Scotland. Similarly, Biratnagar Kings have signed 38-year-old New Zealand opening batsman Martin Guptill, who has more than 350 international appearances.
Hong Kong's Babar Hayat and UAE's Rohan Mustafa, signed by Karnali Yaks and Sudurpaschim Royals respectively are known players to Nepali audiences who will also feature in the NPL. Babar has won the Everest Premier League, while Mustafa was the Man of the Match in the final of the Dhangadhi Premier League. In addition to the duo, players from associate nations including Oman's Akib Ilyas and Jason Maqsood will also feature in the NPL.
