Dhawan not alone foreign players in uplifting 1st Nepal Premier League

Kathmandu, Nov. 15: All eyes have been on the social media handles of Karnali Yaks since Tuesday when they revealed that an IPL-winning player was joining their squad. 

And finally, on Thursday morning, Nepali cricket fans were left awestruck when Karnali Yaks announced that Shikhar Dhawan, former Indian opener, was joining their squad for the first edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL).

The way the news related to Dhawan’s entry into the NPL is spreading across social media further supports his ability in T20 cricket. Winning the IPL in 2016 with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhawan retired after IPL 2024 while playing for Punjab Super Kings. 

Representing India in the U-19 and winning a Champions Trophy with the senior squad in 2013 to being the second individual with the most runs in the history of IPL, Dhawan, aka Gabbar, will now be playing in the NPL.

Dhawan, with 6,769 runs in 221 innings (222 matches), is the second batsman with the most runs in the IPL so far after Virat Kohli, who has 8,004 runs from 244 innings (252 matches).

Dhawan’s latest activeness in cricket was in September-October when he played for Gujarat Greats in the Legends League Cricket 2024. He scored 143 runs for the team in six matches. 

As per the statistics of Legends League Cricket (LLCT20) 2024, there is someone more dangerous than Dhawan in the NPL. It is none other than former New Zealand international Martin Guptill who has signed for Biratnagar Kings.

Guptill hit the most boundaries in the tournament, 21 sixes and 30 fours in nine matches, and took his team, Southern Super Stars, to lift the 3rd LLCT20. Currently in his late 30s, Guptill played in 122 T2oIs, 198 ODIs and 47 Tests for New Zealand from 2009 to 2022. There might also not be any major leagues where Guptill has not played before arriving to raise the image of the NPL.

There are 19 cricketers from Test nations signed in the NPL until Dhawan’s announcement. Six are from England, three each from New Zealand and Pakistan, two each from West Indies and Afghanistan, and one each from India, Australia and South Africa. However, not all of them have featured in the senior national team of the respective countries. 

Ben Cutting, who has played for Australia in the ODIs and T2oIs, will also be a major player to keep an eye on in the NPL. Cutting will be playing for Lumbini Lions alongside Unmukt Chand. Chand, who has played for Indian U19, U23 and A teams alongside the IPL and BBL, is currently being linked with the USA national team.

Marchant de Lange of Chitwan Rhinos is also a player to have featured in ODIs, T2oIs and Tests for the South African national team. He, however, has more experience in first-class, List A and T20 leagues.   

The eight NPL teams are allowed to keep a minimum of four to a maximum of six foreign players in their squad.

Similarly, only four of the six overseas players can be active cricketers of a Test-playing nation. However, players of Test nations who have not been active in international cricket for the past two years are not affected by the criteria.

Until Thursday morning, 34 foreign players from 16 countries have been associated with the NPL teams. None of the teams have yet fulfilled their six-foreign-player quota.

Janakpur Bolts, Biratnagar Kings and Pokhara Avengers have five players each while Kathmandu Gurkhas, Chitwan Rhinos, Sudurpaschim Royals and Karnali Yaks have four each. Lumbini Lions have only three. 

From the Associates

In the NPL, 15 players have been signed from Associate members of the ICC so far. And many players from the Associates can outclass the ones from the Full-members in the first edition.

Some of the major players to look after from the Associates include USA’s Andries Gous, Canada’s Nicholas Kirton, Oman’s Aqib Ilyas, Netherlands’ Michael Levitt, Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus and Nicol Loftie-Eaton, and Scotland’s Brandon McMullen.

Less than a month ago, Gous, a wicket-keeper batsman playing for Pokhara Avengers, showed his devastating batting in the T2oI friendlies and CWC League 2 matches against Nepal. He was the first foreign player to be signed for the NPL.

Erasmus, with his experience, will be leading Kathmandu Gurkhas as the captain. Similarly, Loftie-Eaton has the record of the second fastest T20I century, scoring it at the TU International Cricket Ground, hosts of the NPL.

Levitt, who has the experience of playing at TU Ground, is well-known about the conditions in Nepal and will be a challenging all-rounder for other opponents when he represents Kathmandu.

Nevertheless, the NPL will be providing majority of the spots for Nepali players allowing them to learn and improve alongside some of the best cricketers in the world.