NPL Auction Day in Kathmandu: The process of sale and purchase of players for the inaugural Nepal Premier League took place on the 10th of November in 2024, and this event recorded a vibrant display of franchises’ morale as they competently bid for the talented Nepali cricketers. With Nepali cricket entering a new phase, wicketkeeper-batsman Anil Kumar Sah was the highest bid player for NPR 3.5 million(approx USD 26000).
The auction was conducted for more than eight hours, during which 250 players from different skill and experience levels were involved. Six franchises taking part in different regions of Nepal took the bid to establish a formidable team for the upcoming tournament in January 2025.
In regard to the bid made by Anil Kumar Sah, many were utterly shocked because of his performance for the local team in domestic cricket. However, his experience of playing in different T20 leagues around the world and his capacity to hold up an innings and also to keep wickets made him an advantageous player for franchises. Its services were bought by Kathmandu Kings in a bidding war in the face of the Pokhara Rhinos.
Chirag and Rohit Paudel follows second with NPR 3.2 million deal with Chitwan Tigers when he becomes the captain of the national team. Paudel was the leader in the Nepali team and he has performed well in the recent international cricket matches, which helped him to become a favourite of the auction. The management of Tigers seemed happy that they have been able to sign Paudel who will enhance their chances of clinching the title.
Nepal young spinning all-rounder Sandeep Lamichhane, who was recently cleared off the legal charges slapped against him, also grabbed considerable attention. He signed for the Biratnagar Warriors for an NBA record of NPR 3 million, making him the third highest paid player in the league. Lamichhane is a well renowned cricketer and the fact that he has returned to cricket and also joining this NPL does this tournament a lot of good.
It also gave way to several new players who were still untouched by a cap commanding some decent attention from the franchises. One of the new sensations in age group cricket Teenager Gulsan Jha was bought by Janakpur Royals for NPR 1.8 million showed that franchises do not hesitate to invest in youth.
Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Chatur Bahadur Chand said he was satisfied with such an auction system. ‘It is a new day for Nepali cricket.’ This level of excitement the franchises portray and the worth they have placed on our local actors has thrilled me. Chand said that the NPL will be a much-needed opportunity for our players to groom themselves for international cricket.
The NPL will also have a total of thirty games and all these games will take thirty days with all the games being played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Grounds I Kirtipur. There is likely to be a huge audience following the tournament, and forecasting is underway for international broadcast partners.
According to many analysists on cricket, the NPL would help in nurturing the new talent of Nepali crickets in the near future. National Physical training coach turned consultant Pubudu Dassanayake said, “This league will bring a transition between domestic and international leagues.” The extra exposure our players will gain from playing with and against international players can only benefit our nation’s team.
After the bid stage, the principal will play to maneuver and plan for the tournament. Being the first edition of actual premier league in Nepali cricket, it has blend of both veteran cricketers and young talents which will make the games interesting and enjoyable, thus the new Nepali premier league might be the fresh start for Nepali cricket team.