Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The third season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), the country’s premier franchise Twenty20 cricket tournament, kicks off on Monday, with defending champions Lumbini Lions taking on Sudurpaschim Royals in the opening match at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.
Organized by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the tournament features eight franchises and will continue till November 21.
The third season is special for two reasons: the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) sanction, which has given the matches official Twenty20 status.
Teams: The tournament features eight franchises — seven based in the seven provinces and one in the federal capital, Kathmandu. Kathmandu Gorkhas represent Kathmandu Valley, while Biratnagar Kings are based in Koshi Province, Janakpur Bolts in Madhesh Province, Chitwan Rhinos in Bagmati Province, Pokhara Avengers in Gandaki Province, Lumbini Lions in Lumbini Province, Karnali Yaks in Karnali Province and Sudurpaschim Royals in Sudurpashchim Province.
Janakpur Bolts won the first edition, while Lumbini Lions lifted the title in the second season. Sudurpaschim Royals finished as runners-up on both occasions.
Schedule and format: The tournament will feature 28 matches in the league round, with teams playing each other once in a single round-robin format.
The top four teams after the round-robin stage will enter the knockout stage. The top two teams will play in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing to the final. The third- and fourth-placed teams will meet in the Eliminator, with the winner facing the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2.
All 32 matches will be played at the TU International Cricket Ground.
What’s new: This is the first time DRS is being introduced in the NPL. According to CAN, DRS will allow teams to challenge certain umpiring decisions, including leg-before-wicket calls. It will also feature 3D ball tracking, edge detection and sound technology, according to CAN officials.
Similarly, ICC sanction means players’ runs and wickets in this edition will count toward their official career statistics.
Broadcasters: The matches will be broadcast live on Star Sports, while NetTV is the official digital streaming partner.
Himalaya Sports is the official broadcaster in Nepal. Likewise, FanCode is the official streaming partner in India.
Major signings: ICC sanction has allowed NPL teams to sign international cricket stars.
Australian opener David Warner, the Player of the Tournament at the 2021 T20 World Cup, has been signed by Kathmandu Gorkhas.
Similarly, Karnali Yaks have signed South African David Miller and Pakistan’s T20 captain Sahibzada Farhan and all-rounder Hussain Talat.
Likewise, Biratnagar Kings, who signed Martin Guptill and Faf du Plessis in previous seasons, have signed West Indian Andre Russell and Sri Lankans Charith Asalanka and Angelo Mathews.
Pokhara Avengers have recruited Bangladeshis Shakib Al Hasan, Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin, as well as Sri Lankans Dhananjaya Lakshan and Chamika Karunaratne.
Janakpur Bolts have signed England’s two-time World Cup winner Moeen Ali, New Zealander Jimmy Neesham and Pakistani all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed.
Meanwhile, Sudurpashchim Royals have signed West Indian Sherfane Rutherford.
Chitwan Rhinos have signed Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza and retained English veteran Ravi Bopara.
Bangladeshi all-rounder Shamim Hossain is among Lumbini Lions’ high-profile signings.
Major dates: League matches will be played between October 26 and November 15. Similarly, Qualifier 1, Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be played on November 17, 18 and 19, respectively.
The final will be played on November 21.
The matches will kick off at 5 p.m. (NST). On double-header days, the first match will be played at 12:30 p.m.
