Who each team kept

Teams could keep up to seven players. 52 were retained in all.

• Lumbini Lions (7): Rohit Paudel, who is captain and marquee player, plus Sher Malla, Dilip Nath, Sundeep Jora, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhisesh Gautam and Tilak Bhandari.
• Sudurpaschim Royals (7): Dipendra Singh Airee, who leads the team again, plus Binod Bhandari, Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Abinash Bohara, Hemant Dhami and Hikmat Mahara.
• Karnali Yaks (7): Sompal Kami (marquee), Gulshan Kumar Jha, Nandan Yadav, Deepak Dumre, Pawan Sarraf, Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri and Yuvraj Khatri.
• Chitwan Rhinos (7): Kushal Malla (marquee), Dev Khanal, Arjun Saud, Kamal Singh Airee, Ranjeet Kumar, Deepak Bohara and Rijan Dhakal.
• Pokhara Avengers: Kushal Bhurtel, who is marquee and will lead the team, plus Arjun Kumal, Dinesh Kharel, Bipin Khatri, Aakash Chand and Kiran Thagunna.
• Biratnagar Kings (6): Sandeep Lamichhane, Lokesh Bam, Basir Ahamad, Narayan Joshi, Pratish GC and Subash Bhandari.
• Kathmandu Gorkhas (6): Karan KC, who is captain and marquee, plus Mohammad Aadil Alam, Rashid Khan, Shahab Alam and Santosh Yadav. The report didn't name the sixth.
• Janakpur Bolts (5): Anil Kumar Sah, who captained them in the first two seasons, plus Mayan Yadav, Aadity Mahata, Bikash Aagri and one more. They let their marquee player, Aasif Sheikh, go.

The auction

There were 155 players in the pool and 37 were sold. Each team can now have 14 Nepali players, up from 12.

The big story was Aasif Sheikh. He was the only player with a base price of Rs 1.5 million, bidding hit the Rs 2 million ceiling, and Lumbini Lions won him on a lucky draw. Here's who went for the most:

Kathmandu Gorkhas didn't buy anyone from the top two price categories.

After the auction, teams filled their squads from a wish list of unsold players, which took everyone to 13 Nepali players. Each team adds one more from its talent hunt to make 14.

Sources

• 52 players retained by teams for NPL Season 3, The Kathmandu Post, 20 June 2026
• Lumbini Lions land Aasif Sheikh at NPL Season 3 auction, The Kathmandu Post, 7 July 2026

The squad landed in Kathmandu on 20 October and was met at Tribhuvan International Airport by CAN officials.

Next: the play-off, at home

Nepal finished in the bottom four of the League 2 table with the UAE, Namibia and Canada. That puts them in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-Off, and CAN has announced that Kathmandu will host it from 4 to 21 December.

• Eight teams, 50 overs a side.
• The four from League 2, plus two from each group of the Challenge League. Italy and Uganda have come through Group B. Group A isn't settled yet.
• The top four go to the 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, hosted by South Africa and Namibia.

It's a big step on the road to the next World Cup, and it's at home.

India A series moves

Nepal's planned three games against India A on 9, 11 and 13 December clash with the play-off. CAN says new dates will be agreed with the BCCI and announced soon.

Sources

• Nepal fixtures and results, ESPN
• Nepali cricket team returns home after world cup league-2 series, Nepal News, 20 October 2026
• Kathmandu to host Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-Off in December, The Kathmandu Post, 22 October 2026

Kathmandu Gorkhas

David Warner. The former Australia opener was announced by the Gorkhas on 15 September, in a video posted to their social media. He's won the ODI World Cup twice (2015 and 2023), the T20 World Cup in 2021 and the World Test Championship (2021-23) with Australia.

"I am really excited to be coming to Nepal and joining the Kathmandu Gorkhas squad," he said in the video.

Biratnagar Kings

Andre Russell. The West Indies all-rounder signed on 18 October. He won the T20 World Cup with the West Indies in 2012 and 2016, and the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and 2024.

Angelo Mathews. The former Sri Lanka captain has also joined the Kings, Republica reported.

Pokhara Avengers

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh all-rounder. Pokhara missed the playoffs in both of the first two seasons.

They also have Ajantha Mendis, the former Sri Lanka spinner, as head coach. He was announced on 19 July.

Janakpur Bolts

Moeen Ali of England and Jimmy Neesham of New Zealand. Neesham played for the Bolts in Season 1, when they won the title.

Lumbini Lions

Ruben Trumpelmann, the player of the tournament in Season 2, was kept on by the defending champions on 24 July.

Shadley van Schalkwyk, an American all-rounder born in South Africa, has joined too.

Karnali Yaks

Hussain Talat. The Pakistan all-rounder was announced on 22 October. It's his first NPL.

Not playing, but coming

Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistan fast bowler, is expected in Nepal as an analyst for Himalaya Sports, the official broadcaster.

How many can play?

A playing XI can have no more than four overseas players, and must include at least one from an ICC Associate nation.

Sources

• What's new in the Nepal Premier League's third season?, The Kathmandu Post, 23 October 2026
• David Warner joins Kathmandu Gorkhas for NPL Season 3, The Kathmandu Post, 15 September 2026
• Andre Russell to play for Biratnagar Kings in Nepal Premier League, The Kathmandu Post, 18 October 2026
• NPL: Mathews joins Biratnagar Kings, Schalkwyk signs with Lumbini Lions, Republica, 23 October 2026
• Shakib, Mendis lead star-studded foreign signings as NPL Season 3 hype builds, The Kathmandu Post, 29 July 2026
• Pakistan all-rounder Hussain Talat joins Karnali Yaks, The Kathmandu Post, 22 October 2026

CAN has set the prices, and tickets are sold through eSewa, the official ticketing partner.

We haven't seen prices for Qualifier 1 or Qualifier 2 yet.

In the eSewa app, look for NPL under travel and ticketing, or search for it. Pick a game, the number of tickets and a stand, then pay. The QR code shows up in your eSewa statement, and you also get it by email. Collect your physical ticket at the ground before the game. Opening-day tickets sold out last season, so don't leave it late.

On TV and online

• On TV in Nepal: Himalaya Television Network has the broadcast rights.
• Streaming: NetTV has the worldwide streaming rights. A pass for the whole tournament costs Rs 400 in Nepal, $4 in the Middle East, and $10 in Europe, the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea. It works in the NetTV app and on the web.

Between them, the TV, streaming and ticketing deals are worth more than Rs 33 crore to CAN.

Sources

• NPL tickets priced at Rs 500 for general admission, Rs 1,000 for premium, OnlineKhabar, 23 October 2026
• NPL 2026: NetTV, Himalaya Television and eSewa secure media and ticketing rights, Nepalitelecom, 22 October 2026
• NPL 2026 Ticket Prices Announced, Starting at Rs. 500, How to buy?, Nepalitelecom, 23 October 2026
• NPL 2026: Watch All Matches on NetTV for Rs 400, Subscription Open, Nepalitelecom, 7 October 2026
• Opening-day tickets for 2nd NPL season sold out, The Kathmandu Post, 15 November 2025

Nepal's games

Nepal are in Group A, which plays at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur:

• Fri 22 Jan: Nepal v Ireland
• Sun 24 Jan: Nepal v India
• Tue 26 Jan: Nepal v West Indies

India are the defending champions and have won the title twice.

The groups

Kirtipur hosts six Group A games and Mulpani hosts nine, including Group D.

How it works

The top three in each group go to the Super Six. The top two in each Super Six group reach the semi-finals on 4 February, and the final is on 6 February. Both are at the Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram.

Nepal and Bangladesh got in as hosts. Nigeria, Samoa, Scotland, the UAE and the United States came through regional qualifying.

Source

• Nepal to host 15 matches at 2027 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, The Kathmandu Post, 21 October 2026

DRS, for the first time

After arguments over umpiring in the first two seasons, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is bringing in the Decision Review System.

• LBW reviews use ball tracking to show whether the ball would have hit the stumps.
• Edge detection and sound-wave technology check for a nick.
• Video reviews also cover run-outs, stumpings, front-foot no-balls, wides judged on height, and six measurements.
• Each team gets two unsuccessful reviews per innings.

CAN secretary Paras Khadka put the cost at around Rs 15 million to Rs 20 million, shared between CAN and the eight franchises. Reviews are expected to add about 30 minutes to a game, and the schedule has been stretched by that much.

ICC sanction, so the numbers count

The ICC sanctioned the third season on 16 October. Every match has official T20 status, so runs and wickets go on players' career records. The sanction covers this season only. It doesn't carry over to future editions on its own.

It also means the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit will be watching the venue, the dressing rooms and the teams.

Overseas rules

• Every overseas player, retired ones included, needs a no-objection certificate from their home board.
• Anyone who played in an unauthorised private league in the six months before the NPL can't take part.
• Each squad can have six to eight overseas players.
• A playing XI can have no more than four, and must include at least one player from an ICC Associate nation.

A bigger Kirtipur

The ground has about 2,000 more seats, a covered stand, an LED scoreboard and digital boundary boards. There are new player dugouts, a media centre, a family zone and better toilets. The work is reported to be finished.

We'll find out from Monday how much of this makes a difference on the field.

Sources

• What's new in the Nepal Premier League's third season?, The Kathmandu Post, 23 October 2026
• ICC recognises Nepal Premier League matches as List A T20 fixtures, The Kathmandu Post, 22 October 2026

It's not here to replace the socials. It's the place for the things you'll want to look up again: the season dates, the teams and posts that need more room than a caption.

First up is the third Nepal Premier League, which runs from 26 October to 21 November. Our NPL 2026 page has the key dates, how the playoffs work and all eight teams.

One thing we won't do is list match times. The official league site, npl-t20.com, has those, and they're the ones who'd know if anything changes.

We're fans, not the league, and we're not tied to any team. See you on match day.