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🎙️ Listen · Nepal Travel Podcast · Oct 29, 2026
Nepal’s Cricket Boom: Inside the Nepal Premier League
What is the NPL?
The Nepal Premier League is the country's Twenty20 franchise competition, run by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). CAN announced it in January 2024 and the first season was played that winter. Each of the eight teams represents a city or province, and the league is held every year between October and December.
The 2026 season, branded the Siddhartha Bank NPL 2026 after its title sponsor, is the third. It is the first with official T20 status: the International Cricket Council (ICC) sanctioned the league on 16 October 2026, so runs and wickets now count in players' career records.
The format is simple. All eight teams play each other once in a round-robin league (28 matches). The top four go into a four-match playoff, the same Qualifier and Eliminator system the IPL uses, for 32 matches in all.
2026 dates and venue
- Dates: 26 October – 21 November 2026
- Venue: Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground (TU Ground), Kirtipur, on the south-western edge of Kathmandu. Every match is played here.
- Match times: 12:30 pm and 5:00 pm Nepal time (UTC+5:45); playoffs start at 4:30 pm
- Organiser: Cricket Association of Nepal
- New this season: the Decision Review System (DRS), so players can challenge on-field umpiring calls
Teams, captains and coaches
Lumbini Lions start as defending champions. The table lists every side in order of its 2025 finish.
-
Lumbini Lions
Siddharthanagar (Bhairahawa), Lumbini Province
- Captain
- Rohit Paudel
- Head coach
- Tinu Yohannan
- 2025 finish
- Champions
-
Sudurpaschim Royals
Dhangadhi, Sudurpashchim Province
- Captain
- Dipendra Singh Airee
- Head coach
- Misbah-ul-Haq
- 2025 finish
- Runners-up
-
Biratnagar Kings
Biratnagar, Koshi Province
- Captain
- Sandeep Lamichhane
- Head coach
- Dhammika Prasad
- 2025 finish
- 3rd
-
Kathmandu Gorkhas
Kathmandu, Bagmati Province
- Captain
- Karan KC
- Head coach
- Monty Desai
- 2025 finish
- 4th
-
Pokhara Avengers
Pokhara, Gandaki Province
- Captain
- Kushal Bhurtel
- Head coach
- Ajantha Mendis
- 2025 finish
- 5th
-
Karnali Yaks
Birendranagar, Karnali Province
- Captain
- Sompal Kami
- Head coach
- Gyanendra Malla
- 2025 finish
- 6th
-
Chitwan Rhinos
Bharatpur, Bagmati Province
- Captain
- Kushal Malla
- Head coach
- Sohail Tanvir
- 2025 finish
- 7th
-
Janakpur Bolts
Janakpur, Madhesh Province
- Captain
- Harmeet Singh
- Head coach
- Shivnarine Chanderpaul
- 2025 finish
- 8th
Nepal captain Rohit Paudel leads the champions, and all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee leads Sudurpaschim, the side they beat in the 2025 final. Several coaches are former international players: Misbah-ul-Haq captained Pakistan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul played 164 Tests for the West Indies, and Ajantha Mendis took wickets for Sri Lanka with his mystery spin.
Key overseas players
Each franchise can register up to eight overseas players this season, up from four to six before, and four can play in an XI alongside seven Nepalis. These are the best-known names reported by more than one source:
- Kathmandu Gorkhas: David Warner (Australia)
- Biratnagar Kings: Andre Russell (West Indies), Angelo Mathews and Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka)
- Pokhara Avengers: Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Dhananjaya Lakshan (Sri Lanka)
- Janakpur Bolts: Moeen Ali (England), Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand), Iftikhar Ahmed (Pakistan)
- Karnali Yaks: David Miller (South Africa)
- Lumbini Lions: Niroshan Dickwella (Sri Lanka), D'Arcy Short (Australia), Shadley van Schalkwyk (USA)
- Chitwan Rhinos: Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
- Sudurpaschim Royals: Scott Kuggeleijn (New Zealand)
The most expensive player at the 6 July 2026 auction in Kathmandu was Nepal batter Aasif Sheikh, bought by Lumbini Lions for NPR 20 lakh (NPR 2,000,000, ≈ US$15,000). Two overseas signings withdrew before the first ball: Sahibzada Farhan (Karnali Yaks) for national duty and Hunain Shah (Janakpur Bolts) after the Pakistan Cricket Board did not issue a no-objection certificate.
Schedule (Nepal time)
Matches 1–5 were played from 26 to 29 October; their results are in the live panel above. The remaining league fixtures:
| # | Date | Time | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5:00 pm | Biratnagar Kings v Karnali Yaks | |
| 7 | 12:30 pm | Lumbini Lions v Chitwan Rhinos | |
| 8 | 5:00 pm | Sudurpaschim Royals v Biratnagar Kings | |
| 9 | 5:00 pm | Janakpur Bolts v Pokhara Avengers | |
| 10 | 12:30 pm | Kathmandu Gorkhas v Karnali Yaks | |
| 11 | 5:00 pm | Sudurpaschim Royals v Chitwan Rhinos | |
| 12 | 12:30 pm | Biratnagar Kings v Janakpur Bolts | |
| 13 | 5:00 pm | Lumbini Lions v Pokhara Avengers | |
| 14 | 12:30 pm | Lumbini Lions v Janakpur Bolts | |
| 15 | 5:00 pm | Kathmandu Gorkhas v Biratnagar Kings | |
| 16 | 12:30 pm | Sudurpaschim Royals v Karnali Yaks | |
| 17 | 5:00 pm | Chitwan Rhinos v Pokhara Avengers | |
| 18 | 5:00 pm | Kathmandu Gorkhas v Lumbini Lions | |
| 19 | 12:30 pm | Pokhara Avengers v Karnali Yaks | |
| 20 | 5:00 pm | Chitwan Rhinos v Kathmandu Gorkhas | |
| 21 | 5:00 pm | Sudurpaschim Royals v Janakpur Bolts | |
| 22 | 12:30 pm | Biratnagar Kings v Pokhara Avengers | |
| 23 | 5:00 pm | Karnali Yaks v Lumbini Lions | |
| 24 | 12:30 pm | Kathmandu Gorkhas v Sudurpaschim Royals | |
| 25 | 5:00 pm | Janakpur Bolts v Chitwan Rhinos | |
| 26 | 5:00 pm | Biratnagar Kings v Lumbini Lions | |
| 27 | 12:30 pm | Chitwan Rhinos v Karnali Yaks | |
| 28 | 5:00 pm | Pokhara Avengers v Kathmandu Gorkhas |
Fixtures can move for weather or broadcast reasons. The Cricket Association of Nepal publishes official changes.
Playoffs and final
The top two teams after the league get two chances to reach the final; third and fourth get one.
| Match | Date | Time | Who plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | 4:30 pm | 1st v 2nd — winner goes to the final | |
| Eliminator | 4:30 pm | 3rd v 4th — loser is out | |
| Qualifier 2 | 4:30 pm | Loser of Qualifier 1 v winner of the Eliminator | |
| Final | 4:30 pm | Winner of Qualifier 1 v winner of Qualifier 2 |
How to watch NPL 2026
- Nepal: Himalaya Sports on TV; NetTV for streaming
- India: Star Sports on TV; FanCode for streaming
- Bangladesh: NetTV streaming
- At the ground: TU Ground is in Kirtipur, a short taxi ride from central Kathmandu; allow extra time for match-day traffic. Buy tickets through official NPL channels only.
Nepal is 15 minutes ahead of India, so a 5:00 pm Nepal start is 4:45 pm IST and a 12:30 pm start is 12:15 pm IST.
Past champions and records
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Janakpur Bolts | Sudurpaschim Royals | 21 Dec 2024 — Janakpur 185/5 (19.2 overs) beat Sudurpaschim 184/9 by five wickets |
| 2025 | Lumbini Lions | Sudurpaschim Royals | 13 Dec 2025 — Lumbini 86/4 (9 overs) beat Sudurpaschim 85 all out by six wickets |
Sudurpaschim Royals have reached both finals and lost both. Across the first two seasons, Rohit Paudel scored the most runs (555) and New Zealand fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn took the most wickets (27).
Frequently asked questions
When does NPL 2026 start and end?
The third Nepal Premier League runs from 26 October to 21 November 2026. The league stage ends on 15 November, the playoffs start on 17 November, and the final is on 21 November at 4:30 pm Nepal time.
Where are NPL 2026 matches played?
Every match is at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, on the south-western edge of Kathmandu. Most days have a 12:30 pm game, a 5:00 pm game, or both.
How many teams play in the Nepal Premier League?
Eight franchise teams, each tied to a city or province: Biratnagar Kings, Chitwan Rhinos, Janakpur Bolts, Karnali Yaks, Kathmandu Gorkhas, Lumbini Lions, Pokhara Avengers and Sudurpaschim Royals. The season has 32 matches including the playoffs.
Who won the last Nepal Premier League?
Lumbini Lions won the 2025 title, beating Sudurpaschim Royals by six wickets in the final on 13 December 2025. Janakpur Bolts won the first edition in 2024.
How can I watch NPL 2026?
In Nepal, matches are on Himalaya Sports on TV and stream on NetTV. In India, Star Sports shows them on TV and FanCode streams them. Live scores are also on this page.
Are NPL matches official T20 matches?
Yes. The ICC sanctioned the 2026 season on 16 October 2026, so every match has official T20 status and players' runs and wickets count in their career records for the first time.
How many overseas players can an NPL team field?
Each franchise can register up to eight overseas players this season, up from four to six in the first two seasons, and can field four of them in a playing XI alongside seven Nepali players.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked on 29 October 2026 against:
- 2026 Nepal Premier League — Wikipedia
- Nepal Premier League — Wikipedia
- “NPL returns with bigger ambitions and global recognition” — The Kathmandu Post, 25 Oct 2026
- NPL 2026 squads: full list of overseas players — Yahoo Sports
- Nepal Premier League series results — ESPNcricinfo
- Cricket Association of Nepal (organiser)
Live scores come from CricketData.org. Spotted an error? Tell us.