The League features eight teams categorized into two groups of four teams each.

Group A includes Maratha Arabians, Bangla Tigers, Northern Warriors, and Delhi Bulls and Group B has Team Abu Dhabi, Qalandars, The Gladiators, and Pune Devils.

Nepali players, Sompal, Karan KC, and Kushal Malla will participate in the League on behalf of Maratha Arabians, Pune Devils, and Abu Dhabi, respectively.

Karan and Kushal are set to make a debut in the T10 League, while Sompal has already participated in the international franchise team.

Earlier, Sandeep Lamichhane and Paras Khadka had played in the T10 League. However, Lamichhane is not playing in the 2021 edition of the T10 League since he is currently busy with the ongoing Big Bash League in Australia.

Meanwhile, former Nepal cricket captain Paras was appointed as Abu Dhabi’s emerging talent mentor for the upcoming League.

Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Sunil Narine, Shoaib Malik, Thisara Perera, Andre Russell, and Dwayne Bravo are some of the marquee players participating in the 2021 T10 League.

Stay Tuned to NepaliSansar for Nepali Cricket News!

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Making its way for 2019, CPL 2019 has recently announced its selection of Nepali cricket players for the upcoming season.

A total of four Nepali cricketers, namely Sompal Kami, Dipendra Singh Aire, Rohit Kumar Paudel and Sandeep Lamichhane, have been shortlisted for CPL 2019.

CPL 2019 will be the second for Sandeep as he also played CPL 2018 from St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

The auction of all the players in the draft, which includes 536 foreign players, will be held on May 22, 2019.

Sandeep has been riding on success path and has recently emerged as the highest wicket-taking spinner in T20 cricket 2019 as of April 2019.

Meanwhile, Sompal has also ascended in global ICC World T20 rankings to the 70^th position for his ‘bowling’ performance and 51^st position as an ‘all-rounder’.

Wish the players would repeat their magic in CPL 2019 too!

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Yes! Nepal’s first-ever cricket award ceremony honored the national cricket team’s leg spinner with the ‘Male Cricketer of the Year’ award.

Sandeep’s name was awarded this honor in the NCCS-CPAN Cricket Awards ceremony held at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture.

Sandeep was recognized for his outstanding performance of claiming 84 wickets in 32 matches, collectively, he played part of the senior and U-19 teams.

He was also the ‘Player of the Match’ in the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia and has a crucial role in driving Nepal’s identity in ODI matches.

Sandeep was awarded a cash prize of NPR 132,000!

Nepal national team captain Paras Khadka received the award on behalf of Sandeep, who is currently in UAE tour for the Pakistan Super League.

Meanwhile, Nepal national women team Vice-Captain Sita Rana Magar was announced for the ‘female cricketer of the year’ award. Indu Barma, skipper Rubina Chhetri, Karuna Bhandari, and Sarita Magar were other nominees in the female category.

Sita was recognized for her performance at the Thailand Women’s Twenty20 Smash that ended in January 2019. 

Rohit Kumar Paudel’s name was announced for the ‘Emerging Cricketer of the Year’ award for his performance at the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia.

Paudel was also appreciated for his record as the ‘youngest ODI half-century holder’ in the history in the lines of Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.

Karan KC was named for the ‘Moment Of The Year’ award for his instrumental performance against Canada in the ICC Division 2 tournament in Namibia, which was key for Nepal’s ‘ODI Nation Status’.

Komal Pandey was chosen for the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.

Other than ‘Male Player of the Year’ category, other winners were awarded NPR 66,000 cash prize, each. Nepali actor Sandeep Chhetri, live performance by Singer Dharmendra Sewan and cultural performance from the NCCS students were other highlights of the show.

Cricket Players Association Nepal and National College for Computer Studies (NCCS) jointly organized the event.

Related News:

• Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane Bags ‘Breakthrough Star’ Title
• Nepal — A Growing Cricket Nation

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In its recent announcement, the International Cricket Council raised the rankings of Nepal cricket team captain Paras Khadka, Basant Regmi and bowler Sompal, among others.

• ICC placed Paras at the 90^th position as a ‘batsman’ and at 40^th position as an ‘all-rounder’ in its recently-revealed World T20 rankings.
• Regmi climbed three points up to reach 71^st position.
• Sompal has also climbed to 70^th position for his ‘bowling’ performance and 51^st position as an ‘all-rounder’.

Besides Nepali cricketers, Babar Azam of Pakistan is standing at the top in ‘batting’, while Rashid Khan of Afghanistan is leading in ‘bowler’ category and Glen Maxwell of Australia in ‘all-rounder’ category.

The new rankings come as an encouragement to Nepali cricket team in view of their recent victory in the recently-concluded ODI series with UAE team.

Hope, the new rankings will instill additional confidence in the players to perform in a much better way in their future matches.

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This was because the Nepali veteran cricketer and the longest-serving member of the Nepal cricket team Shakti Gauchan said goodbye to his cricket career!

Gauchan, who already announced retirement to the international cricket in July 2018, took the #EPL2018 stage to say goodbye to his domestic cricket career as well.

So, Gauchan’s EPL teammates Pokhara Rhinos decided to give him a rare honor and took the veteran leg-spinner on to their shoulders, amid more than 10,000 cricket fans watching the scene with happiness.

The situation moved Gauchan a lot, who literally cried out of emotion with intense joy waving to his fans with happy tears and for the love his teammates had for him.

“I think this guard of honor and love from the spectators is the result of my honest contribution to the country and loyalty to the game. The emotions in the ground (while receiving the guard of honor and cheers from the crowd) was something which I cannot express in words. This moment is unforgettable for any player and it will etch in my memories for a lifetime,” Gauchan told the media.

Destined for Nepal Cricket: Gauchan’s Records & Milestones

Gauchan, who says his life is ‘destined for Nepali cricket’, made his debut in the senior national Nepal cricket team in the 2002 ACC Trophy against Oman.

From then, the veteran continued to grow with the sport and has successfully completed his
18-year-long active journey with the national cricket team.

When the national anthem was played while I was playing for Nepal for the first time during the 2001 ACC U-17 Youth Asia Cup in Bangladesh, my inner soul had said you are born for Nepal and have to do something for your country. Cricket is the only thing that will direct you. 18 years down the line, the love that I have earned from cricket is something that I am very proud of,” Gauchan added.

Hailing from India, Gauchan began his career as the opener batsmen and set a 1000-run mark, becoming the first Nepali cricketer to do so for the senior team.

Gauchan was equally successful as a bowler too! He is the third Nepali cricketer to have taken 100 wickets after his co-team members Mehboob Alam and Basanta Regmi.

Besides in regular national team, Gauchan also led the Nepal U-17 team in the U-17 Asia Cup and then the Nepali U-19 team, gifting centuries for both the youth and senior teams.

Gauchan also has a special role in Nepal’s maiden ODI entry!

Nepal To Global: ICC T20 Made Gauchan Special!

Gauchan also played for Nepal in many international cricket tournaments.

Gauchan is also the first Nepali cricketer to score 100 runs in the World Cricket League, which he made in Italy during the 2005 Division 2 Qualifier match.

In total, Gauchan played 9 Twenty20 international tournaments for Nepal. He was known for taking 18 wickets in List A and 32 wickets in Twenty20s, and a total of five wickets in the First-Class matches.

Gauchan moved on to leave his mark in every match he played for Nepal in the world cricket!

ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers at UAE was one termed as ‘Gauchan’s come-back’ after a short gap, where he claimed hat-trick wickets against Denmark becoming the only male cricketer to have made such rare feat in Nepali cricket history.

Following this, he also received a call for brief training camp at the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals.

Gauchan’s reputation as a spinning sensation touched new heights when he bowled the world cricket legend Rahul Dravid! Gauchan also have a special role in Nepal’s maiden entry to the ICC World Twenty20 in 2014 in Bangladesh.

Gauchan’s performance in the World Twenty20 tournament also earned him special recognition from the former Pakistani cricketer-turned commentator Ramiz Raja. Raja called Gauchan “Shakti, The Power” in the Nepal-Hong Kong match, where veteran spinner took 3-9 wickets in four overs and also stood as the ‘Man of the Match’.

“Singing the national anthem during the World Twenty20 and playing at the Lord’s will be memorable for me. I will always miss the ground where I have played and of course being with the national team,” reads Gauchan’s statement.

“My innings as a player has now ended. I know I have to move on now and life is going to take a new turn. My mission now is to help Nepal play the 50-over World Cup and the prime target is to elevate country into a Test nation if I get support from everyone. It’s tough, but we should not stop dreaming because that is how we played Twenty20 World Cup,” says Gauchan.

Now at Everest Premier League 2018!

Gauchan led the Pokhara Rhinos team in the last season of the Everest Premier League, but let the opportunity for Scottish Captain Kyle Coetzer in #EPL2018.

Although Gauchan could not repeat his magical bowling performance, he managed it decently taking 2-132 from 18.5 overs.

“When I came to bowl at the start of the innings, I realized that these overs were going to be my last. I thought of giving the best. Well, it might sound like a joke but when I came to ball the final ball, I was thinking of not being hit for a four or a six,” Gauchan said in a media briefing.

The Conclusion
Thanks to Gauchan who took the Nepali cricket to the next level. Hope Gauchan’s journey and the success tracks of other sensations like Sandeep Lamichhane will inspire and bring more Nepali cricket talents to the limelight.

The post Veteran Shakti Gauchan Waves ‘Good Bye’ to Nepali Cricket! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

ICC has finally given its nod for the Nepal’s big-budget Twenty 20 cricket tournament, the Everest Premier League (EPL) 2018.

Putting an end to EPL 2018 organizers’ months-long wait, the international cricket body gave its approval for holding EPL 2018 that has been scheduled for December 8-22, 2018 at the Tribhuvan University Stadium.

With this approval, EPL 2018 is set to invite international cricketers in its tournament.

ICC has already forwarded the proposal to member countries and global cricketers participating in the tournament are yet to get ‘No Objection’ from their respective countries’ associations.

So far, the EPL board has confirmed the participation of Middlesex’s English wicketkeeper-batsman John Simpson, United Arab Emirates fast-bowler Muhammad Naveed, Hong Kong Skipper Babar Hayat, among others in the upcoming marquee event, besides already-announced cricket stars: Zimbabwean Test player Sikandar Raza and UAE Cricket Team Captain Rohan Mustafa.

“ICC has granted the approval bearing in mind the unique circumstances that currently exist in Nepal and because the league is in the interests of cricket in Nepal and the Nepalese players in particular,” says Clive Hitchcock, ICC Representative at EPL Pvt Ltd.

“This is great news not just for EPL but also for the millions of fans and we are sure that with the support of ICC, EPL will reach greater heights,” says Amir Akhtar, EPL Managing Director.

“EPL would like to thank the fans, players, media and all stakeholders for their continued support. Let’s all work on making this tournament grander,” Akhtar added promising of presenting EPL in the international standards.

The latest decision comes in line with ICC’s new regulations rules, which mandate it to give approval for domestic tournament in a country with cricket board under suspension.

Getting this approval costed USD 20,000 for EPL organizers and ICC extended its commitment to use this sanctioning fee solely for the development of Nepali Cricket.

ICC had earlier suspended Nepal’s cricket administration, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), citing ‘government interference and unfair elections.

EPL 2018 is Nepal’s city-based franchise Twenty20 cricket tournament.

World cricket has taken a different turn in recent times with the change of rules by ICC governing body, enabling more opportunities for the potential cricket-playing nations across the world.

Especially for Nepal, winning of ODI status and recent Pokhara Premier League (PPL) 2018, among other previous cricket events are giving a new ray of hope for the country and its talented cricketers to come to lime-light.

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The cricket governing body in its announcement on October 31, 2018 named Batsmen Paras Khadka and Sharad Veswakar, and bowlers Sompal Kami and Basanta Regmi in the ICC Men’s T20 ranking.

Among other countries players, Paras and Sharad from Nepal stood at 94^th and 100^th positions in the batsmen category.

Whereas, Regmi and Sompal represented the Himalayan nation in the bowler category at 74th and 92^nd positions, respectively.

Surprisingly, the recent-times most-popular Nepal’s spinning sensation Sandeep Lamichhane was not found in the rankings.

Top rankings went to Pakistani batsman Babar Azam, Afghan bowler Rashid Khan and Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell in their respective categories.

Pakistan followed by India topped the list as the highest-ranked T20 team in the Men’s category and Australia followed by New Zealand, which led the Women’s category.

New Zealander Suzie Bates was named the best batsman and Australian bowler Megan Schutt grabbed the best bowler ranking, followed by West Indies player Stefanie Taylor in the all-rounder respective category in the Women’s T20 rankings.

ICC decides players’ ranking based on their performance in international tournaments.

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Nepal’s Karan KC stole the show while Nepal’s rising cricket star Sandeep Lamichhane took five big wickets, slumping Thailand to a 18-9 defeat.

Opening the game at Bayuemas Oval, Nepal continued to struggle till the 17^th over with 127 in 17.2 overs owing to Thailand’s smart bowling. However, the game turned tables for Nepal when KC stepped in.

His significant contribution of 40 runs from 14 deliveries led Nepal to a 172-7 victory at the end of 20 overs.

It was time for payback when Nepal was bowling. Lalit Narayan and Lamichhane stepped in to wipe out Thailand’s batsmen in the first over itself.

Lamichhane was his best-self as usual. He stumped Thailand’s top and middle order, leaving Thailand to a score of 18-9 in 8.5 overs, after which rain sealed Thailand’s fate completely.

Nepal Players Score Contribution
It was impressive to see how each player contributed to Nepal’s smashing victory. Binod Bhandari opened his innings with a ‘six’ and ‘four’ to finish with a 15 for 8 balls. Anil Kumar Sah contributed 25 runs from a 17-ball delivery.

Sharad Vesawakar and Dipendra Singh Airee contributed another 45 runs before the third wicket ended their turn to play. Airee as always made a remarkable feat with 30 runs from 26-ball delivery and three ‘fours’ and one ‘six’.

While the others did their part despite their short innings, it was KC who stood out. His ultimate winning shots ended Nepal’s game with a prestigious score.

With the current performance, Nepal share top position with Singapore in terms of the ‘net run rate’.

Conclusion:
Nepal is all set to take on Bhutan in their next match on October 9, 2018. Hope they continue the winning streak.

All the Best Nepal!

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The team has been actively practicing for the tournament and has recently been to Sri Lanka as part of its preparation tour from August 22, 2018.

The preparation tour ended with Nepal witnessing three consecutive victories against its opponents including Army Cricket Team in Panagoda and Bloomfield Cricket Club.

The tour began with Nepal registering a 67-run victory over Army Cricket Team in Panagoda, Colombo on August 22, 2018, followed by 176-run victory against the Bloomfield Cricket Club on August 24, 2018, and a comprehensive five-wicket win against the Colts Cricket Club on August 26, 2018.

The final match of the preparation tour on August 26, 2018, saw Skipper Paras Khadka and Dipendra Singh Airee hitting half centuries.

When it comes to bowling, Nepali pacers Sompal Kami and Karan KC controlled the Colts team for 44-4 in just nine overs. Gyanendra Malla and Subash Khakurel are among other key players who drove the Nepali team to victory.

Driven by the confidence drawn from the preparation tour, the team is now set on a trip to Malaysia for the ACC Qualifier series.

Next is Nepal’s fight against UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman and Hong Kong teams, the winners of which will move to the ‘Group A’ of the Asia Cup in the coming month that already has India and Pakistan.

Whereas, the Group B has Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, which UAE is hosting on September 15-28, 2018

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As per the latest update, Nepali national cricket team is all set to play its first ODI with The Netherlands cricket team on August 1 and 3, 2018.

The 2-ODI series will be held after the two teams complete their T20 tri-series tournament with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lords scheduled for July 29, 2018.

The two teams last faced each other as part of the 2019 ICC World Cup Qualifier held in March 2018, wherein, Nepal secured ODI status by winning over Papua New Guinea (PNG) registering a new milestone in its cricket history.

Not just for Nepal, the two matches are going to be special for The Netherlands as well, as the latter is returning to ODI after a long gap of five years during which it also lost its ODI status in a match with Canada in 2014.

“We’re delighted to welcome Nepal for their first ODIs and our first ODI on home soil since 2013. After the honor of being invited to play at Lords, we look forward to showing our home fans what we can do,” Netherlands Coach Ryan Campbell said in a statement.

Lauding the Nepali national team, Campbell said, “Nepal are an exciting team as we’ve all seen from the IPL Sandeep Lamichanne is a world class player, will be a privilege to have them here. Nepal have always drawn good crowds in Holland, I’m sure it will be a great occasion.”

These matches also mark Nepal’s first trip to the Low countries after 2016 when the two teams shared honors in the two List A international matches under the fourth round of the World Cricket League Championship.

Dream That Came True!

March 15, 2018 is one important day for Nepal, more specifically in its cricket history. That was the day when the country’s most-awaited wish has come true in the form of ODI status.

With an outstanding victory over PNG in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier play-off at the Old Hararians Sports Club in Zimbabwe, Nepal made its entry into the elite group of world nations with ODI status.

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