Kathmandu : Nepali players have made an impressive start to the third season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL), winning all six Player of the Match awards in the opening matches.
This marks a shift from the first two seasons, when overseas players had a stronger presence in the individual awards, often overshadowing their Nepali counterparts.
Among the Nepali players who have stood out this season are Sher Malla of Lumbini Lions, Kamal Singh Airee of Chitwan Rhinos, Unish Singh Thakuri and Sompal Kami of Karnali Yaks, Dipendra Singh Airee of Sudurpaschim Royals, and Rahul Yadav of Janakpur Bolts. Sompal Kami’s performance in Karnali’s victory over Biratnagar Kings was particularly impressive.
Cricket analysts view the growing influence of Nepali players as a positive development for domestic cricket.
The overall statistics also reflect their progress. As of Thursday, Nepali players had won 38 of the 70 Player of the Match awards given in matches that produced a result, compared with 32 awards for overseas players.
The first two seasons, which featured a combined 64 matches, ended with an equal distribution of awards, with Nepali and overseas players winning 32 each. However, six consecutive awards for Nepali players at the start of the third season have given them the overall lead.
The record remains evenly balanced in the playoffs. Nepali and overseas players have each won four of the eight Player of the Match awards given in playoff matches so far. However, overseas players have claimed the award in both finals.
In the inaugural season, Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Milantha, representing Janakpur Bolts, and Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann, playing for Lumbini Lions, won the Player of the Match awards in the two finals.
Sudurpaschim Royals lead team rankings
Sudurpaschim Royals have won the most Player of the Match awards among all NPL teams. The two-time runners-up have collected the honour 15 times.
Captain Dipendra Singh Airee has won four of those awards, making him the only player to have received the honour at least once in all three seasons of the tournament. Vinod Bhandari has claimed the award three times.
Janakpur Bolts, Kathmandu Gorkhas and Karnali Yaks follow with nine awards each. Biratnagar Kings and Lumbini Lions have won eight each, while Chitwan Rhinos have claimed seven.
Pokhara Avengers are at the bottom of the list with five awards, all won by overseas players. They are also the only team yet to reach the playoffs. No Nepali player representing Pokhara has won the Player of the Match award so far.
The lack of match-winning contributions from domestic players may partly explain Pokhara’s failure to progress beyond the league stage in the first two seasons.
Among overseas players, Karnali Yaks’ Will Bosisto has won the award four times.
The Player of the Match award recognises individual performances that have a significant impact on the outcome of a game. The growing number of Nepali players receiving the honour is an encouraging sign for the country’s cricket, highlighting the increasing ability of domestic players to compete and deliver decisive performances at the highest level of the league.
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