The Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2024 began with an exciting opener on Saturday, November 30, where Janakpur Bolts claimed a dominant eight-wicket win over Biratnagar Kings.
The match, held at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, marked the start of an exhilarating inaugural season of Nepal's premier T20 franchise tournament.
Organized by the Cricket Association of Nepal, the league's inaugural edition features eight teams. A total of 32 T20 matches will be played by the eight teams over the course of the tournament.
These teams are Janakpur Bolts, Biratnagar Kings, Chitwan Rhinos, Karnali Yaks, Kathmandu Gurkhas, Lumbini Lions, Pokhara Avengers and Sudurpaschim Royals.
NPL 2024 is featuring a single round-robin format with each team playing the other seven sides once in the league phase.
The top four teams will then advance to the playoffs, where the third and fourth-placed teams will face off in an Eliminator, while the top two sides compete in Qualifier 1 and both these encounters are scheduled for December 18.
The loser of Qualifier 1 will battle the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2 for a place in the final on December 21.
To add international star power, players such as Shikhar Dhawan (Karnali Yaks), Martin Guptill (Biratnagar Kings), James Neesham (Janakpur Bolts), Ben Cutting (Lumbini Lions), Bas De Leede and Andries Gous (Pokhara Avengers) shall bring global flair and expertise to the tournament.
In the opening match of the tournament, Janakpur Bolts’ bowlers wreaked havoc on the Biratnagar Kings’ batters as they bundled out the opposition for a mere 127 and in turn set up an eight-wicket win for their team.
With a promising start, fans are keen to track the standout performers of the league. Here's a closer look at the players with the most wickets in Nepal Premier League 2024 so far.
Most wickets in Nepal Premier League 2024
|
Rank |
Player |
Team |
Matches |
Wickets |
|
1 |
Sohail Tanvir |
Chitwan Rhinos |
2 |
8 |
|
2 |
Lalit Rajbanshi |
Janakpur Bolts |
3 |
7 |
|
3 |
Naren Saud |
Sudurpaschim Royals |
1 |
5 |
|
4 |
Abinash Bohara |
Sudurpaschim Royals |
2 |
5 |
|
5 |
Rijan Dhakal |
Chitwan Rhinos |
2 |
4 |
|
6 |
Luc Benkenstein |
Chitwan Rhinos |
2 |
4 |
|
7 |
Mohammad Mohsin |
Janakpur Bolts |
3 |
4 |
|
8 |
Shahab Alam |
Kathmandu Gurkhas |
3 |
4 |
|
9 |
Gerhard Erasmus |
Kathmandu Gurkhas |
3 |
4 |
|
10 |
Kishore Mahato |
Janakpur Bolts |
3 |
4 |
Photo credit: Imago
