Nepali cricketers celebrate Nepal Premier League

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 21: The Nepali men’s national cricket players could not be present in the revealing ceremony of the Nepal Premier League in the capital city of Kathmandu on August 19 as they were outside the country. However, they have taken to their social media to express excitement for the League.

The Nepal Premier League (NPL) is the first franchise T20 cricket league to be organised under the complete ownership of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). According to the CAN, the NPL will take place from November 30 to December 21.

Except for skipper Rohit Kumar Paudel and all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, the Nepali squad is currently training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane returned to Nepal on Sunday and left for India on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the duo, who is training in Canada, alongside many players training in Bangalore, replaced their profile pictures on Facebook, even if temporarily, with the new and official logo of the NPL to share their joy on the League.

Paudel, Airee, Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and Kushal Bhurtel have the NPL logo as their Facebook profile picture currently. Young cricketer Dev Khanal also did the same. 

Moreover, the step of the cricketers is being followed by hundreds of Nepali cricket fans as they are also changing their profile pictures to the NPL logo.

As per the fans, who have commented on the posts of the cricketers, they were happy with the decision of the CAN on the League and wanted to promote it further.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Hamrokhelkud.com, Lamichhane suggested that the public should not keep high hopes for the League in the first edition.

“The first edition is a start. We have to think of the League for the next five years and ways to make it an international-level franchise cricket able to compete with others. This League’s journey is going to be interesting,” said Lamichhane.