Cricket Kitchen

NPL: How Have Teams and Players Performed So Far?

November 23, 2025

Kathmandu –  Today is a rest day in the ongoing Nepal Premier League (NPL), which began on Mangsir 1. As per the schedule, no matches will be played today. Out of the total 32 matches, eight have already been completed. Two matches are scheduled for Monday, the day after the break.

So far, Sudurpashchim Royals and Biratnagar Kings remain unbeaten. Both teams have won both of their matches and are placed first and second respectively with four points each. Kathmandu Gurkhas, with one win from three matches and two points, are in third place.

Lumbini Lions, Chitwan Rhinos, and Karnali Yaks, each having played two matches and secured one win, are in fourth, fifth, and sixth positions. Janakpur Bolts, having played only one match and yet to score any points, are in seventh place. At the bottom are Pokhara Avengers, who have lost both of their matches.

The standout performer so far has been Mark Watt, whose explosive batting against Lumbini Lions helped Karnali secure a win. He has also taken two wickets and two catches.

Kushal Bhurtel has also impressed with both bat and ball, scoring 112 runs in two matches, taking one wicket, and grabbing two catches.

Harmit Singh has contributed 57 runs and claimed four wickets.

Foreign Batters Dominating

In the eight matches played so far, foreign batters have dominated. Out of the top 10 run-scorers, seven are foreign players.

Mark Watt (Scotland, Karnali) has scored 130 runs, including a century—114 against Lumbini Lions. Ravi Bopara (England) has scored 118 runs with two half-centuries. Kushal Bhurtel (Nepal) has two half-centuries and 112 runs. Priyank Panchal (India) has 102 runs with one half-century. Rohit Paudel (Nepal) has 88 runs. Martin Guptill and Lokesh Bam have each scored 86 runs with one half-century. Ben Charlesworth (England) has also scored 86 runs.

Bowling: Karan KC Leads

The top wicket-taker so far is Karan KC, captain of Kathmandu Gurkhas, with six wickets. He took four wickets against Sudurpashchim Royals, giving away 30 runs in four overs at an economy of 7.50. Overall, his economy rate is 7.88.

Milind Kumar has taken five wickets, including three against Janakpur Bolts, conceding only 15 runs in four overs at an economy of 3.75.

Harmit Singh and Marchant de Lange have taken four wickets each.

Similarly, Ruben Trumpelmann, Sandeep Lamichhane, Scott Kuggeleijn, Shahab Alam, Sompal Kami, Hemant Dhami, Shubham Ranjane, Jimmy Neesham, and Akash Chand have all taken three wickets each.

Strike Rate: Zaib on Top

Chitwan’s Saif Zaib leads in strike rate, scoring 53 runs in two matches at an impressive strike rate of 230.42.

Other players with strike rates above 200 include Harmit Singh, George Munsey, and Mark Watt.

Economical Bowling: Alam Leads

In terms of economy, Nepal’s Shahab Alam leads with an economy of 4.72, having bowled 11 overs in three matches and taking wickets at an average cost of 22 runs.

Harmit Singh has an economy of 5.37, giving away 48 runs in eight overs while picking up four wickets.

Sandeep Lamichhane has an economy of 5.50, conceding 44 runs in eight overs and taking three wickets.

The highest economy rates belong to D’Arcy Short and Matt Taylor, who have both conceded 12 runs per over on average.

Fielding: 59 Catches in 8 Matches

A total of 59 players have been dismissed by catches so far, with 40 different fielders contributing.

The highest catch-takers are Kushal Bhurtel, Sandeep Jora, Scott Kuggeleijn, and Mohammad Adil Alam, each with three catches.

 

Highest and Lowest Team Totals

The highest team score in this NPL edition is by Biratnagar Kings, who scored 220 runs for six wickets in 20 overs against Pokhara Avengers.

Second-highest is Sudurpashchim Royals, who scored 193 runs against Pokhara.

The lowest score is by Kathmandu Gurkhas, who were all out for 118 runs while chasing against Sudurpashchim Royals.