The Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) is set to select players for the upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) through an auction process. The NPL, scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from November 30 to December 21, will feature eight teams.
CAN has announced plans to conduct the auction by the end of September. Each team will have a maximum of 16 players, including a yet-to-be-determined number of foreign players. The association is currently preparing to announce the marquee players soon, who will likely be the top performers from the current Nepal national team.
The minimum price for players in the auction has not been finalized yet. The auction grading will be determined based on the players’ international experience, which will influence their minimum bidding price.
This upcoming NPL marks a significant departure from the controversial Nepal T-20 League held in 2022/23, where players were selected through a draft. Controversies, including match-fixing allegations, unpaid players and officials, and accusations of organizational misconduct plagued the previous league.
CAN has taken full control of the organization of the NPL. Earlier this week, the ownership of the eight franchise teams was sold for a total of 16 million rupees. The teams include Pokhara, Kathmandu, Janakpur, Lumbini, Chitwan, Sudurpaschim, Biratnagar, and Karnali.
Pokhara Nepal T-20 Cricket Pvt. Ltd emerged as the highest bidder, spending 3.57 million rupees to secure the Pokhara team. Interestingly, Pokhara was the only team with indigenous investment in the previous Nepal T-20 League and is also the sole franchise to maintain ownership in the NPL.
Other notable team purchases include the Kathmandu team by Kantipur Media Group (3.33 million rupees), Janakpur by Dream Sports (2.05 million rupees), and Lumbini by Fortune Health Care (1.86 million rupees).
