The biggest cricketing festival in Nepalese cricket history, the Nepal Premier League, dubbed the “Festival of the Himalayas,” is set to kick off on November 30 and will run until December 21. Over 22 days, eight teams, Biratnagar Kings, Janakpur Bolts, Chitwan Rhinos, Kathmandu Gurkhas, Pokhara Avengers, Lumbini Lions, Karnali Yaks, and Sudurpaschim Royals, will battle it out at TU International Cricket Ground.
Biratnagar Kings
Strength: Biratnagar Kings are one of the strongest teams on paper, led by their marquee player Sandeep Lamichhane, who brings a wealth of experience from franchise leagues worldwide. Sandeep recently became the second-fastest bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets after Rashid Khan. Their pace bowling attack, led by Chris Sole, adds further strength.
Weakness: Biratnagar lacks a quality all-rounder, which could disrupt their balance. Basir Ahamad and Aqib Ilyas will shoulder significant responsibility in the all-round department.
Players to watch: Martin Guptill, Sandeep Lamichhane, Pratish GC
Squad: Lokesh Bam, Martin Guptill, Mrinal Gurung, Naren Bhatta, Nicholas Kirton, Rajesh Pulami, Aqib Ilyas, Basir Ahamad, Ismat Alam, Pratish GC, Subash Bhandari, Dipak Bohara (wk), Anil Kharel, Chris Sole, Jitendra Mukhiya, Kamal Khatri, Sandeep Lamichhane
Janakpur Bolts
Strength: Representing Madhesh Province, Janakpur Bolts had a successful outing at the auction table, securing key domestic players like Rupesh Singh, Arniko Yadav, and Anil Sah. Their spin bowling is bolstered by Sher Malla, a mystery spinner, and Tul Bahadur Thapa Magar, the only left-arm leg-spinner in the tournament.
Weakness: Injury concerns for Rupesh Singh and the unavailability of Hemant Dhami during the early phase, as he leads Nepal U19 in the Asia Cup, weaken their pace attack. Much depends on Kishore Mahato to lead the bowling department.
Players to watch: Sher Malla, Tul Bahadur Thapa Magar, James Neesham
Squad: Aakash Tripathi, Anil Sah, Shubh Kansakar, Ben Mike, Tion Webster, Arniko Yadav, James Neesham, Rupesh Singh, Sher Malla, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Joshua Tromp (wk), Lahiru Milantha (wk), Hemant Dhami, Kishore Mahato, Lalit Rajbanshi, Mohammad Mohsin, Tul BahadurThapa Magar
Lumbini Lions
Strength: Led by Rohit Kumar Paudel, the captain of Nepal’s national team, Lumbini Lions boast a strong domestic batting lineup that includes Unmukt Chand, Sundeep Jora, and Arjun Saud. All-rounders Ben Cutting and Bibek Yadav further bolster their squad.
Weakness: The Lions lack a standout leader in the bowling department, which could impact their ability to defend totals.
Players to watch: Sundeep Jora, Ashutosh Ghiraiya, Ben Cutting
Squad: Ashutosh Ghiraiya, Abhishek Gautam, Arif Khan, Rohit Paudel, Sundeep Jora, Ben Cutting, Bibek Yadav, Dinesh Adhikari, Saad Bin Zafar, Arjun Saud (wk), Tom Moores (wk), Unmukt Chand (wk), Bikash Aagri, Durgesh Gupta, Ramon Simmonds, Surya Tamang, Tilak Bhandari
Pokhara Avengers
Strength: Pokhara Avengers are a batting-heavy team, led by Kushal Bhurtel, one of the top batters in Nepal’s senior team. They have two standout overseas associate players, Andries Gous and Bas de Leede, along with Michael Leask, who adds depth to the lineup.
Weakness: They lack a dependable spinner, although Bipin Khatri and Sagar Dhakal offer promise. A reliable leg-spin option could have made their squad stronger.
Players to watch: Kushal Bhurtel, Andries Gous, Bas de Leede
Squad: Kiran Thagunna, Kushal Bhurtel, Trit Raj Das, Zen Malik, Amrit Gurung, Bas de Leede, Dinesh Kharel, Matt Critchley, Michael Leask, Narayan Joshi, Raymon Reifer, Sudip Aryal, Sunam Gautam, Andries Gous (wk), Dilip Nath (wk), Aakash Chand, Bipin Khatri, Sagar Dhakal
Sudurpaschim Royals
Strength: Led by Dipendra Singh Airee, currently ranked No. 2 in the ICC Men’s T20I all-rounder rankings, Sudurpaschim boasts a solid all-round department. Rohan Mustafa and Brendon McMullen add depth.
Weakness: The bowling department looks weak, with Abinash Bohara being the only bowler with senior team experience. He, along with Scott Kuggeleijn, must perform at their best.
Players to watch: Dipendra Singh Airee, Ishan Pandey, Saif Zaib
Squad: Ishan Pandey, Brendon McMullen, Dipendra Singh Airee, Saif Zaib, Scott Kuggeleijn, Abinash Bohara, Rohan Mustafa, Kushal Bhurtel, and others
Karnali Yaks
Strength: Karnali Yaks are among the favorites, thanks to Shikhar Dhawan, the tournament’s biggest star. They also feature top Nepal players Sompal Kami and Gulshan Jha, expected to be the most valuable Nepali player.
Weakness: They rely heavily on overseas players. Underperformance in this area could derail their campaign.
Players to watch: Shikhar Dhawan, Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha
Squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Paul Stirling, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Babar Hayat, Dev Khanal, RitGautam, Bipin Sharma, Hussain Talat, Zeeshan Maqsood, Arjun Gharti (wk), Chadwick Walton (wk), Deepak Dumre (wk), Bhuvan Karki, Dipendra Rawat, Mousom Dhakal, Nandan Yadav, Unish Singh
Kathmandu Gurkhas
Strength: The Gurkhas’ overseas signings, including Michael Levitt, Gerhard Erasmus, and Stephen Eskinazi, bring a wealth of experience.
Weakness: The domestic lineup lacks power hitters, with Bhim Sharki being the primary batter for building innings.
Players to watch: Michael Levitt, Shahab Alam, Gerhard Erasmus
Squad: Bhim Sharki, Michael Levitt, Shankar Rana, Sumit Maharjan, Daniel Douthwaite, Dipesh Kandel, Gerhard Erasmus, Karan KC, Krish Karki, Pratik Shrestha, Raju Rijal (wk), Stephen Eskinazi (wk), Bibek KC, Krishna Karki, Nathan Sowter, Rashid Khan, Shahab Alam
Chitwan Rhinos
Strength: Chitwan boasts three experienced players, Sharad Vesawkar, Ravi Bopara, and Sohail Tanveer, as their key assets.
Weakness: Injuries to Marchant de Lange and Kamal Singh Airee, along with the unavailability of Bopara and Tanveer for the initial matches, weaken the team.
Players to watch: Deepak Bohara, Hassan Eisakhil, Amar Singh Routela
Squad: Deepak Bohara, Hassan Eisakhil, Kushal Malla, Sharad Vesawkar, Amar Routela, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Luc Benkenstein, Manish Pun, Ravi Bopara, Salahuddin Khan, Bipin Rawal (wk), Santosh Karki, Dipesh Shrestha, Gautam KC, Ranjit Kumar, Rijan Dhakal, Sohail Tanvir
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