Nepal is stepping into a new era of cricket. For the first time ever, domestic matches will be played under floodlights, with proper parapet seating for spectators. As the second edition of the Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL) begins, Nepali cricket is set to experience something truly new.
Unlike last season where every match was played in broad daylight 23 out of 32 matches this year will be day-night games. With the floodlights and parapet officially handed over to CAN, the defending champions Janakpur Bolts are set to begin their title defense against Kathmandu Gorkhas under the lights.
Let’s take a refreshed, crisp look at all eight franchise teams:
1) Janakpur Bolts (Defending Champions)
Janakpur enters this season with a new identity from a new head coach to a new team logo. But the ambition is unchanged: win the trophy again.
- New head coach: Shivnarine Chanderpaul
- Nine players retained from last season
- Key departures: Jimmy Neesham
- New signings: Mayan Yadav, Sachin Bhatt, Bikash Aagri, Aditya Mahato
- International stars: Wayne Parnell, Imran Tahir, Lahiru Samarakoon, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, and more
A reshaped squad—but still one of the strongest contenders for the title.
2) Sudurpaschim Royals
With experienced coach Jagat Tamata in charge, Sudurpaschim looks like one of the most balanced teams this season.
- National stars: Dipendra Singh Airee (captain), Aarif Sheikh, Binod Bhandari
- Overseas unit: Chris Lynn, Josh Brown, Scott Kuggeleijn, Harmit Singh
- Strength: explosive batting + strong pace attack
- Last season’s top wicket-taker Kuggeleijn returns
A powerful squad with the potential to dominate both powerplay and death overs.
3) Karnali Yaks
Karnali has kept its calm, steady approach—continuity is their strength.
- Captain: Sompal Kami
- Coach: Gyanendra Malla continues
- Core players retained: Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Arjun Gharti
- New domestic signings: Pawan Sarraf, Yuvraj Khatri
- Foreign power: Max O’Dowd, Najibullah Zadran, Mark Watt, William Bosisto
A quietly strong team capable of surprising any opponent.
4) Chitwan Rhinos
One of the most star-studded overseas lineups this season.
- Marquee: Kushal Malla
- Major foreign signings: Dawid Malan, Saif Ali Zaib, Ravi Bopara, Sohail Tanvir
- Kamal Singh Airee returns from injury
- Weak spot: lack of specialist spinners
Even with that gap, Chitwan looks like a top-three contender.
5) Kathmandu Gorkhas
Kathmandu has gone all-in on strategy and structure.
- Head coach: Monty Desai
- Marquee player: Karan KC
- Overseas signings: Gerhard Erasmus, Milind Kumar, John Simpson, Ricardo Vasconcelos
- Strongest unit: spin all-rounders
- Pace balance from Karan KC and Rashid Khan
A technically smart squad with depth in all departments.
6) Biratnagar Kings
The most talked-about team of the season—and for good reason.
- Marquee: Sandeep Lamichhane
- Superstar signing: Faf du Plessis
- Retains: Martin Guptill, George Munsey, Sam Hain
- Pace weapon: Marchant de Lange
- Domestic strength: Lokesh Bam, Basir Ahmed
A top-heavy batting lineup and an experienced bowling unit make them extremely dangerous.
7) Pokhara Avengers
After an underwhelming first season, Pokhara has completely rebranded.
- Marquee: Kushal Bhurtel
- Young talents: Arjun Kumal, Sandeep Chhetri, Krishna Paudel
- Big overseas names: Jason Roy, Jimmy Neesham, Adam Rossington, Raymon Reifer
- Strong top order + energetic all-rounders
Pokhara looks like an unpredictable wildcard—capable of major upsets.
8) Lumbini Lions
A team revived from scratch—new coach, new branding, new foreign recruits.
- Captain: Rohit Paudel
- Newly added domestic players: Durgesh Gupta, Dilip Nath, Sher Malla
- Overseas signings: D’Arcy Short, Gulbadin Naib, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit
- Coaching team: Tinu Yohannan (Head Coach), Robin Singh (Mentor), Shakti Gauchan (Consultant)
Lumbini enters the season with a more structured and disciplined approach.
