Foreign signings heat up ahead of NPL-2

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Nov 1 : With the second edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) set to begin on 17 November, franchise teams have ramped up their overseas signings to bolster their squads. 

All eight teams are in the hunt for world-class cricketers while retaining top performers from Season One.

Biratnagar Kings stunned fans on Friday by announcing the signing of South African star Faf du Plessis for NPL-2. He is the biggest name to join the league so far. 

The franchise had earlier signed Scotland’s George Munsey and Australia’s Sam Heazlett.

Du Plessis, a former South Africa captain, has scored 1,528 runs in 50 ODIs. In T20 cricket, he boasts 11,906 runs from 424 matches. 

Known for his sharp fielding, he has taken 211 catches in the format. He has lifted the IPL trophy with Chennai Super Kings and the CPL title with St Lucia Kings.

“It’s a proud moment for Biratnagar Kings and the NPL to welcome a player of Faf’s calibre. His arrival will encourage more international stars to join,” said Director Dipendra Chaudhary. The team is currently training in Mumbai.

Although du Plessis has retired from Test cricket, he remains active in ODIs and T20s.

Defending champions Janakpur Bolts have strengthened their squad by signing South African left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell and retaining Sri Lankan-American wicketkeeper Lahiru Milantha.

Parnell has featured in six Tests, 73 ODIs, and 56 T20Is for South Africa, claiming 173 wickets. He has also played in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the NPL. I’ve seen the passion of Nepali fans and heard great things about the league. I’m eager to help Janakpur defend their title,” said Parnell.

Milantha, named Most Valuable Player in Season One, returns alongside head coach Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies legend. 

Janakpur are currently training at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Tamil Nadu.

Last season’s runners-up Sudurpaschim Royals have roped in Australian power-hitter Chris Lynn. 

Lynn has played 18 T20Is and four ODIs for Australia and brings vast experience from the IPL, CPL, PSL, BBL, and Champions League.

The Royals have also retained New Zealand pacer Scott Kuggeleijn, one of the top wicket-takers in NPL-1.

Lumbini Lions have signed Australian all-rounder D’Arcy Short and Italian international Thomas Jack Draca. Draca, aged 25, has played seven T20Is for Italy. 

The Lions have also partnered with Extratech Oval, which will serve as their official home ground.

Chitwan Rhinos have retained Pakistani quick Sohail Tanvir and English all-rounder Ravi Bopara. They’ve also signed England’s Dawid Malan, a left-handed batter who has represented England in all three formats. Malan has played 62 T20Is, 30 ODIs, and 22 Tests. The Rhinos are preparing in New Delhi.

Pokhara Avengers have signed English wicketkeeper-batter Adam Rossington as their first overseas player. 

The 32-year-old has played county cricket for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, and Essex, with over 100 first-class and T20 matches under his belt. He has also featured in the PSL, SA20, ILT20, and The Hundred.

Karnali have retained Australian batter Will Bosisto and signed Dutch opener Max O'Dowd and Scottish spinner Mark Watt.

 O'Dowd has played 87 T20Is for the Netherlands, scoring 2,309 runs. The trio were confirmed as part of the squad on 24 October.

Kathmandu Gorkhas have signed South African batter Ricardo Vasconcelos and retained Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus, who scored 110 runs and took 11 wickets in Season One.

Their third signing is USA’s Milind Kumar. The 34-year-old made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2011 and is currently the third-highest run-scorer in the Cricket World Cup League 2, with 823 runs from 20 matches, including two centuries and six fifties. 

He has also taken 27 wickets and scored over 1,600 runs in 90 T20Is.