NPL sides pick 10 players each through auction [With list of players]

KATHMANDU: All eight teams of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) acquired 10 players each through a players’ auction held in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

The teams have also been allotted marquee players who will also captain the side. The marquee players cost the sides Rs 2 million each.

A total of 426 players had registered their names for the auction. However, NPL shortlisted them to 142.

Players were categorized into Pools ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ with base prices of Rs 1 million, Rs 500,000, and Rs 200,000, respectively. The maximum bidding price for Pool ‘A’ was Rs 1.5 million, for Pool ‘B’ Rs 1 million, and for Pool ‘C’ Rs 500,000. If more than one team reached the maximum bidding limit, the players were assigned through a lucky draw.

Teams were allowed to pick three players each from Pool ‘A’ and ‘C’, and four from Pool ‘B’.

There was intense bidding for national team players Gulshan Jha and Anil Kumar Sah. After teams hit the Rs 1.5 million limit, a lucky draw was held to decide their destinations. Gulshan was picked by Karnali Yaks, while Anil Kumar was drawn by Janakpur Bolts.

Each team was provided a purse of Rs 9 million to acquire 10 players.

According to the Cricket Association of Nepal, participating teams are free to negotiate with foreign players on their own. Each team can have a maximum of for four foreign players including one from associate nations.

Biratnagar Kings

Sandeep Lamichhane (Marquee), Basir Ahmed, Dipak Bohara, Naren Bhatta, Anil Kharel, Jitendra Mukhiya, Rajesh Pulami Magar, Pratish GC, Lokesh Bam, Subash Bhandari

Janakpur Bolts
Aasif Sheikh (Marquee), Lalit Rajbanshi, Arniko Yadav, Rupesh Singh, Anil Kumar Sah, Shubh Kasnsakar, Tul Bahadur Thapa Magar, Kishore Mahato, Sher Malla, Hemant DHami, Aakash Tripathi

Kathmandu Gurkhas
Karan KC (Marquee), Bhim Sharki, Sumit Maharjan, Shankhar Rana, Dipesh Kandel, Bibek KC, Pratik Shrestha, Raju Rizal, Rasid Khan, Krishna Karki, Shahab Alam

Chitwan Rhinos
Kushal Malla (Marquee), Rijan Dhakal, Bipin Rwal, Ranjeet Kumar, Santosh Karki, Dipesh Shrestha, Gautam KC, Amar Singh Rautela, Deepak Bohora, Kamal Singh Airee, Sharad Veshwakar

Pokhara Avengers
Kushel Bhurtel (Marquee), Kiran Thagunna, Sagar Dhakal, Narayan Joshi, Dinesh Kharel, Aakash Chand, Amrit Gurung, Bipin Khatri, Trit Raj Das, Dilip Nath, Sunam Gautam

Lumbini Lions
Rohit Paudel (Marquee), Aashutosh Ghiraiya, Surya Tamang, Dinesh Adhikari, Bivek Yadav, Gurgesh Gupta, Tilak Raj Bhandari
Abhishesh Gautam, Sundeep Jora, Arjun Saud, Bikash Aagri

Karnali Yaks
Sompal Kami (Marquee), Gulsan Jha, Dev Khanal, Arjun Gharti, Yunish Vikram Singh Thakuri, Bhuvan Karki, Nandan Yadav, Mausam Dhakal, Deepak Dumre, Rit Gautam, Dipendra Rawat

Sudurpashchim Royals
Dipendra Singh Airee (Marquee), Naresh Budha Ayer, Binod Bhandari, Bhojraj Bhatta, Amit Shrestha, Aarif Sheikh, Abinash Bohara, Khadak Bahadur Bohara, Naren Saud, Arjun Kumar, Ishan Pandey