Nepali Bowlers Win Player of the Match in Every NPL Game So Far

Three matches into the Nepal Premier League season, every Player of the Match award has gone to a Nepali bowler. Sher Malla, Kamal Singh Airee and Yunish Bikram Thakuri have each taken the award, worth NPR 50,000, and each built his spell around wickets of big overseas names at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.

It is the pattern of the tournament so far. Foreign batters are scoring the runs, with Dawid Malan's 70 the top score to date, but Nepali bowlers are deciding the games.

Malla sets the tone in the opener

Sher Malla of Lumbini Lions took 3 wickets for 11 runs in 4 overs as Lumbini beat Sudurpaschim Royals by 7 wickets in the opening match. His wickets were Sherfane Rutherford, Scott Kuggeleijn and Binod Bhandari. Sudurpaschim's total of 87 is the lowest of the tournament so far.

Airee stops the Kings

Kamal Singh Airee took 4 wickets for 26 runs for Chitwan Rhinos in their 8 run win over Biratnagar Kings on October 27. Chitwan made 157 for 3, with Malan scoring 70, the tournament's first half century, and Biratnagar replied with 149. Airee's wickets included Andre Russell and Angelo Mathews, along with Rupesh Singh and Basir Ahmad.

Thakuri defends a small total

Karnali Yaks made only 132 for 9 against Janakpur Bolts on October 27, and Yunish Bikram Thakuri defended it. He took 3 wickets for 22 runs, dismissing Jimmy Neesham, Harmeet Singh and Aditya Mehta, as Janakpur were bowled out for 113 and Karnali won by 19 runs.

The bowling chart tells the same story. Four of the top five wicket takers so far are Nepali: Kishore Mahato with 4 for 22, Airee with 4 for 26, Malla with 3 and Thakuri with 3. Janakpur's Harmeet Singh, with 3 wickets, is the only overseas bowler in the top five.

The runs chart is the mirror image. Malan leads with 70, followed by Ariful Islam on 43 and Darcy Short on 40, with Nepali batters Imran Sheikh on 39 and Pawan Sarraf on 37 completing the top five.

What comes next

Pokhara Avengers open their season today, October 28, against Sudurpaschim Royals at 5 p.m. in Kirtipur. Kushal Bhurtel captains Pokhara, and Dipendra Singh Airee leads a Sudurpaschim side looking for a first win after the opening loss. The tournament winner takes NPR 1.5 crore, with 80 lakh for the runner-up, and the season runs to a final on Mangsir 5. Janakpur won the first edition and Lumbini the second, with Sudurpaschim runners-up both times.