Nepal Premier League 2024 Auction: Full Players List

The Nepal Premier League (NPL) is all set to launch its inaugural edition from November 30 to December 21, 2024. Organized by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), this professional Twenty20 cricket league is a major milestone in Nepal’s cricketing history. The competition will see eight provincial and city-based franchise teams competing for the top prize. As the teams have now acquired their players through a competitive auction, here’s a detailed breakdown of the NPL 2024 Auction and the squads for each franchise.

Auction Highlights and Structure

Each of the eight NPL teams was given a purse of NRs 90 lakhs to bid for their squads. Teams acquired players across four categories: Category A, Category B, Category C, and Category D, with prices varying based on the category. The marquee players, who were assigned through a lucky draw, are some of the most exciting talents in Nepal cricket.

Category A players fetched the highest bids, with the top players securing salaries of NRs 1,500,000. Category B players were valued between NRs 1,000,000 and NRs 1,200,000, while Category C and Category D players were acquired at lower amounts, down to NRs 200,000.

Full Squads for NPL 2024 Teams

Biratnagar Kings

• Marquee Player: Sandeep Lamichhane
• Category A: Lokesh Bam (NRs 1,500,000), Pratish GC (NRs 1,500,000)
• Category B: Bashir Ahmad (NRs 1,000,000)
• Category C: Rajesh Pulami Magar (NRs 500,000), Jitendra Kumar Mukhiya (NRs 500,000), Anil Kharel (NRs 500,000), Dipak Bohara (NRs 500,000)
• Category D: Subhash Bhandari (NRs 250,000), Naren Bhatta (NRs 200,000), Mrinal Gurung (NRs 200,000)

Chitwan Rhinos

• Marquee Player: Kushal Malla
• Category B: Rijan Dhakal (NRs 1,000,000), Kamal Singh Airee (NRs 1,000,000), Sharad Vesawkar (NRs 1,000,000), Bipin Rawal (NRs 800,000)
• Category C: Santosh Karki (NRs 500,000), Dipesh Shrestha (NRs 500,000), Amar Singh Rautela (NRs 500,000), Deepak Bohara (NRs 500,000)
• Category D: Ranjeet Kumar (NRs 300,000), Gautam KC (NRs 200,000)

Janakpur Bolts

• Marquee Player: Aasif Sheikh
• Category A: Lalit Rajbanshi (NRs 1,500,000), Anil Kumar Sah (NRs 1,500,000)
• Category B: Rupesh K Singh (NRs 1,000,000), Kishor Mahato (NRs 1,000,000), Aakash Tripathi (NRs 1,000,000)
• Category C: Shubh Kansakar (NRs 500,000), Sher Malla (NRs 500,000), Hemant Dhami (NRs 500,000)
• Category D: Arniko Prasad Yadav (NRs 225,000), Tul Bahadur Thapa Magar (NRs 200,000)

Karnali Yaks

• Marquee Player: Sompal Kami
• Category A: Gulshan Kumar Jha (NRs 1,500,000)
• Category B: Nandan Yadav (NRs 1,100,000), Mausam Dhakal (NRs 1,000,000), Arjun Gharti (NRs 1,000,000), Dev Khanal (NRs 1,000,000)
• Category C: Rit Gautam (NRs 500,000), Bhuban Karki (NRs 500,000)
• Category D: Dipendra Rawat (NRs 300,000), Dipak Dumre (NRs 300,000), Unish Bikram Singh Thakuri (NRs 200,000)

Kathmandu Gurkhas

• Marquee Player: Karan KC
• Category A: Shahab Alam (NRs 1,500,000), Bhim Sharki (NRs 1,500,000)
• Category B: Rashid Khan (NRs 1,000,000), Shankar Rana (NRs 950,000)
• Category C: Dipesh Prasad Kandel (NRs 500,000), Sumit Maharjan (NRs 500,000), Krishna Karki (NRs 500,000)
• Category D: Bibek KC (NRs 200,000), Pratik Shrestha (NRs 200,000), Raju Rizal (NRs 200,000)

Lumbini Lions

• Marquee Player: Rohit Kumar Paudel
• Category A: Surya Tamang (NRs 1,500,000), Bibek Yadav (NRs 1,500,000), Sundeep Jora (NRs 1,500,000)
• Category B: Aashutosh Ghiraiya (NRs 1,000,000), Tilak Raj Bhandari (NRs 1,000,000), Durgesh Gupta (NRs 800,000)
• Category C: Arjun Saud (NRs 500,000)
• Category D: Dinesh Adhikari (NRs 275,000), Abhishesh Gautam (NRs 200,000), Bikash Aagri (NRs 200,000)

Pokhara Avengers

• Marquee Player: Kushal Bhurtel
• Category A: Sagar Dhakal (NRs 1,500,000)
• Category B: Akash Chand (NRs 1,150,000), Kiran Kumar Thagunna (NRs 1,000,000), Narayan Joshi (NRs 1,000,000), Bipin Khatri (NRs 1,000,000), Dilip Nath (NRs 1,000,000)
• Category C: Trit Raj Das (NRs 500,000), Sunam Gautam (NRs 500,000)
• Category D: Dinesh Kharel (NRs 200,000), Amrit Gurung (NRs 200,000)

Sudurpaschim Royals

• Marquee Player: Dipendra Singh Airee
• Category A: Md Aarif Sheikh (NRs 1,500,000)
• Category B: Abinash Bohara (NRs 1,200,000), Binod Bhandari (NRs 1,000,000), Ishan Pandey (NRs 950,000), Arjun Kumal (NRs 750,000)
• Category C: Khadak Bahadur Bohara (NRs 500,000), Naresh Budhayer (NRs 500,000), Bhoj Raj Bhatta (NRs 450,000), Amit Shrestha (NRs 350,000)
• Category D: Naren Saud (NRs 200,000)

Check out NPL 2024 Top Paid Players List

Conclusion

The Nepal Premier League 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting tournament, with each team boasting a mix of marquee players, local stars, and upcoming talent. With the auction complete and teams ready for battle, the cricketing fans of Nepal and beyond are eagerly waiting for the inaugural season to kick off. As the league grows, it promises to provide a platform for Nepal’s cricketing talent to shine on both the national and international stage. Stay tuned for what promises to be a thrilling journey!